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Contents 

I Pajre 

A Word of Preface 3-4 

I. Lucile’s Burden’s 5 

II. The Disgrace of the Cameron Home 

Revealed 9 

III. The Disgrace of Lucile Cameron Be- 

ing Revealed to the Sharp Family 21 

IV. Lucile Cameron, the Orator 29 

V. Willie Cameron's Last Evening at 

Home as a Drunkard 44 

VI. A Visit to the Tabernacle 57 

VII. Willie Cameron’s First Week in a 

Foreign City 68 

VIII. The Camerons Shifting for Them- 

selves 80 

IX. Scenes at the Cameron Home 97 

X. The Conversion of Willie Cameron 

and Tommy Sharp 104 

XL The Return of the Prodigals 117 

XII. Lucile’s Victory 134 

The End 145 


SIGNAL PUBLISHING CO,. 

CROWLEY, LA 


PRINTERS 


My Brother’s Keeper 

... by ... 

R. T. D. Carpenter, A. B., Th. G. 

’I 



R. T. D. CARPENTER 


CROWLEY, LA. 


TZ3 

, Cii 

M 


Copyright 

Applied for October, 1914 



NOV 12 1914 





©CI.A390a40 


<t0/ 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER. 


In writing the introduction to your book 
entitled “My Brother’s Keeper” will you al- 
low me to write a short article in bringing 
this valuable work before the people of the 
country. 

A century of the Temperance Reform 
has given birth to quite an extensive litera- 
ture upon that subject. Almost every fea- 
ture of the great movement has been ex- 
haustively treated by eminent students 
and the literature is the just pride of all 
friends of the Great Reformer. However, 
as the cause has advanced and the minds of 
men grown, the best treatments have had 
to be revised or replaced by other and better 
expositions of the principles upon which the 
movement is founded. 

In the book written by R. T. D. Carpen- 
ter, A. B., Th. G., the writer has striven to 
record the progress of the movement and to 
utter the latest word which the Reformer 
has to offer, but I dare not presume to write 
the last word upon a movement so full of 


4 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


life and growth as this cause has shown in 
every stage since its birth. It is not wholly 
unlike the popular sciences, of which, if one 
desires to keep abreast he cannot afford to 
wait for regular treatises, but must ever 
seek record of the newest discovery or theory 
in the daily and monthly publications. Never- 
theless, in common with all true science, 
there are certain fundamental truths which, 
when once made known underlie and enter 
into all future considerations of the sub- 
ject. Those great and basic principles of 
the reform he has sought to state with clear- 
ness and to defend with vigor every phase of 
the subject I have endeavored to canvass. 
The writer has written the book with this in 
his mind that it might solve the great prob- 
lem of the Temperance Movement in this 
country. I have myself carefully analyzed 
the manuscript of the book. Its English is 
perfect and the writer has taken great pains 
in accomplishing this great work. There- 
fore the book comes forth from the writer’s 
hands with this desire that it will find an 
ever widening circle of readers. 

JOHN HENDERSON, B. A. 
London University.' 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER. 

CHAPTER I. 

LUCILE’S BURDENS. 

It was a beautiful spring morning, roses 
were blooming and modest violets were lift- 
ing their dewey heads to kiss the morning 
sun. The air was pregnant with the sweet 
aroma of the honeysuckle, birds were sing- 
ing everywhere, as Lucile Cameron strolled 
through the flower garden and rested her 
head on her arm while she leaned on the 
garden fence. 

At that time, Mr. Henry Sharp, known 
better by all in the city, by the name of 
Judge Sharp had strolled through his garden 
and came suddenly on Lucile leaning on 
the fence. 

The Cameron home and Sharp home were 
situated on adjacent lots, nestling in some 


6 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

beautiful trees and surrounded by the most 
attractive flower gardens in that part of 
the city, and only a low iron fence separated 
the^two gardens which seemed to vie with 
each other in beauty; in fact, the above 
homes mentioned were the most attractive 
in that part of the City of Fort Worth. 

As Judge Sharp approached Lucile he 
softly bade her good morning in his usual 
way. At that moment Lucile sprang from 
her position and exclaimed, *‘Oh, Mr. Sharp 
I was not expecting to see you here so early 
in the morning.’" ‘‘Neither was I expecting 
to see you here,” replied Judge Sharp. 
“Lucile, you seem so lonely, your face looks 
haggard as though you had not slept for a 
week.” 

Now, Mr. Sharp was a man about fifty 
years of age; he had a strong aquiline nose, 
was good natured, very affable in his de- 
meanor and had a kind word for everyone, 
and would gladly do all he could to lift your 
burdens, but he had some political views 
that would stir him to irony when you would 


MY BROTHERS KEEPER 7 

cross him; in fact, he had been a father to 
Lucile Cameron since her father had died 
and left her mother a widow with two chil- 
dren, a boy and a girl. 

Lucile answered Mr. Sharp with a pa- 
thetic tone in her voice, “I have a burden 
that is about to crush my heart, a battle 
that is raging in my soul, and I am determin- 
ed to fight it out at this time.” She seemed 
to stand erect as if to take new courage 
and call forth her latent powers as though 
a new spirit had come into her soul to give 
her new ambition and a greater vision of 
life. 

Now, Lucile Cameron was a beautiful 
young lady of eighteen summers. She had 
just graduated from the High School of 
Fort Worth with first honors. She had blue 
eyes, golden hair, fair skin, rosy cheeks and 
a lithe form ; she had such a beautiful com- 
plexion that all of her school mates caEed 
her '^peaches and cream.” 

Judge Sharp had stood silent for some 
time looking at Lucile with an expression 


8 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

of sympathy on his face; he wittingly said, 
“I wish Tommy could see you this morning, 
I think he could help you in some way.” At 
the very mention of the name of Thomas 
Sharp a blush stole over Lucile's face, but 
as she gave him a furtive look with her blue 
eyes, she said, ‘‘May I see you in your office 
tomorrow about eight o'clock?” Mr. Sharp 
answered her curtly, “I'll be glad to see you 
at that time Lucile.” 

Lucile Cameron stepped forward and 
gave Judge Sharp a warm hand shake and 
turned her face towards the house with a 
heavy heart and downcast countenance that 
(Caused her almost to falter when she reach- 
ed the high steps that led up to the door of 
eittrance in the home. 


CHAPTER II. 


THE DISGRACE OF THE CAMERON HOME 
REVEALED. 

When Lucile Cameron had returned to 
the house and entered the parlor door she 
saw her mother's languid form lying on the 
parlor lounge, with her face buried in her 
hands, weeping aloud as though her heart 
would break, saying, *‘My Boy! My Boy! 
What will become of him? Lucile sprang 
to her side and kindly put her arms around 
her mother's neck and began to console her 
as a mother would a child. ‘‘Oh, mother, 
don't weep that way, you break my heart. 
What has happened to Willie? I know 
something awful has happened to him. Tell 
me quick. Oh, do tell me quick." 

“Now, listen, child," Mrs. Cameron said 
as she began to raise her slender form to 
a sitting posture, as the flush of life began 
to return to her face, showing the outlines 


10 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

of a face that was once beautiful but now 
thin and pale, made so by toil and care, as 
she was left a widow with all the business 
cares upon her and the care of her house- 
hold, which burdens were so great they al- 
most sapped her life from her, and another 
burden was added, Willie Cameron, her only 
son, had become a drunkard. 

Before Mrs. Sarah Cameron could finish 
her conversation, Lucile exclaimed, ‘‘Mother 
has Willie come home?'' “Yes, my child, 
he staggered in just after you left for your 
walk. His face all haggard and emaciated 
and bleeding, his clothes were covered with 
the slime and muck of the streets, and with- 
out a cent of money in his pockets. He 
spent two hundred dollars last night. At 
that rate he will soon spend all we have> for 
your father only left us seven thousand dol- 
lars and this home at his death. Oh, some- 
thing must be done," said Mrs. Cameron, as 
she began to wring her hands and weep, as 
the burden seemed to crush her soul. 

“Oh, how I wish enough good men and 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 11 

women would rise up and vote saloons out 
of this beautiful country of ours. But/' 
Mrs. Cameron added, “we mothers cannot 
vote now but I believe, my daughter, that 
in the near future, we will have an opportu- 
nity to rise up with our votes and defend 
our property and homes and our dear boys.*' 

'‘Oh, I am so glad to hear you talk that 
way mother for I have just finished an 
essay on woman's rights that I think has 
opened up vistas of thought for women. I 
expect to deliver or read it to Judge Sharp 
in his office tomorrow morning at eight 
o'clock, for I have a date with him at that 
time and, as he is a great politician, if we 
can win him over to our cause I think we can 
get a hearing in this county." 

“Well," said Mrs. Cameron, “I hope we 
can do something to eliminate the curse of 
rum and the awful stigma that the selling 
of the stuif has brought to our fair land." 

“That old argument that the liquor men 
put up that if you leave liquor alone it will 
leave you alone, is the biggest lie that the 


12 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

devil ever did propogate. I have let liquor 
alone all my life but now it comes with a 
cunning and slimy hand to rob me of my 
only boy.” At this moment Mrs. Cameron 
turned pale and almost collapsed. Lucile 
drew near, whispering in her mother's ear, 
saying, ‘Take courage, mother, I believe, the 
light will shine on our pathway some day. 
But, mother, there comes a voice to me daily 
asking me about brother, and somehow I 
have answered like Cain of old ‘Am I my 
brother's keeper ?' '' 

“I think I will start tonight and see if I 
can keep him from those places of sin. I 
will play for him sweet music and sing him 
some good songs, forsooth I might draw his 
mind from the places of sin ; also I will under- 
take to draw some mental pictures from the 
gruesome spectacles of history and show him 
what drink has done, in other words, I will 
do my best to show him the awful doom to 
which a drunkard is bound to come, and on 
the other hand how beautiful it is to have 
a clean character and live at home with 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 13 

mother and sister and enjoy the life that 
comes to all sober minded and thoughtful 
young men.” 

*'Well, my child,” said Mrs. Cameron, “I 
am afraid that your efforts will be in vain 
unless you can do something to remove the 
appetite for strong drink.” 

'Tor an appetite is stronger than love; 
many men have created such an appetite for 
liquor that they have broken their wives' 
hearts and turned their backs on their first 
love. Appetite is stronger than affection. 
The appetite for liquor has caused many a 
father to leave his little children without 
clothes or bread, to starve and freeze to 
death in some deserted hut; also an appetite 
is stronger than formal religion ; many a 
man makes a profession of religion and you 
would think he is alright but by and by his 
appetite will draw him away and cause him 
to bring disgrace upon himself and his 
church. The only consolation one has is 
that if the soul is truly saved it will return 
some day to our Father's House.” 


14 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

But, when night came Lucile found that 
her charge was very restless, so she led him 
into the parlor and began to play sweet 
music for him, but as soon as he seemed to 
be contented to stay at home that night the 
phone rang and a message was for Willie, or 
‘‘Bill” as he was called by his chums, to 
come to the comer of Tenth and Main at 
once. Lucile knew what that meant for 
old Bill Davis' Saloon was on that corner — 
the worst hell hole in the city. So she took 
him by the hand and pleaded with him not 
to go but at last he prevailed upon her to 
let him go just a few minutes. He would 
soon return and spend the night at home; 
so as he passed out of the door she said to 
him, ‘‘Remember your promise. I will stand 
here until you return.” And as he left she 
thought of the fifty dollars he drew out of 
the bank that evening. “It will be so bad 
if he spends that money tonight,” exclaimed 
Lucile, “for we need it so much in our home.” 

When Willie had reached Tenth and Main 
he found his chums awaiting for him; they 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 15 

were old Bill Davis' agents, or rather his 
decoy ducks to draw young men into his 
saloon so that he might rob innocent young 
men of their hard earned money. 

So old Bill chuckled in his sleeves when 
his agents marched Willie Cameron up to the 
bar for his first drink. There they drank 
and gambled until the late hour of midnight. 

Old Bill had gotten all of Willie's money 
and in turn Willie had filled up on old Bill's 
bad whiskey so that he could not find the 
way home. When the closing hour came 
old Bill pushed Willie Cameron out in the 
streets and, he not being able to stand, fell 
headlong into the gutter. 

Lucile Cameron had stood in the door 
for several hours waiting for her brother to 
return. Now, it was half past twelve and it 
was very dark, for the wind had veered to 
the northeast and it had begun to rain, so 
she could not wait any longer and as she 
stepped from the door she said to herself, 'T 
will find Willie tonight if I am compelled to 
walk the street and search every nook and 


Hi MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

corner/^ She repeated again as she closed 
the gate, ‘1 must find him tonight.” 

So she directed her course to Tenth and 
Main because that was the place designated 
by the phone message. When she reached 
the place her hair was all down over her 
face and her clothes wet because the rain 
had increased and in this condition she 
began to search for her wayward brother. 

She had looked everywhere she thought 
he could be except in the back alley; also, 
she noticed two policemen watching her very 
closely and, in order to avoid them, she 
turned her steps to the back alley with a 
hope that she might find Willie somewhere 
in that place. 

Before she had gone very far up the 
alley she saw something that looked like a 
man lying in the gutter; she approached it 
almost breathless, and as she reached the 
object she bent over and put her hand upon 
his head and it was cold as death ; she raised 
his head and drew it to the sidewalk and 
when the rays of light from a nearby win- 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 17 

dow fell on his face she saw it was her 
brother. 

The thoughts of death chilled her soul. 
““Is he dead,” she exclaimed to herself. She 
felt of his heart and found it still beating; 
she took courage. At that moment she 
thought of the money he had brought from 
home and thrust her hands in his pockets 
to see if it was there. 

At that time two policeman sprang 
upon her and said with coarse, and harsh, 
voice, “Now, we have you, you are the old 
hag that has been robbing these drunken 
men for the past several months, now, we 
have you.” 

No, No!” she cried out, “don't, don't! 
I am Lucile Cameron, this boy's sister; I 
came to take him home.” 

By that time the policeman had blown 
his whistle and the patrol wagon was on the 
scene and Lucile Cameron and her brother 
were hastened to the police station and there 
put in a lock-up. 

It was a lonely night for Lucile yet when 


18 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

she had seated herself by the side of her 
brother she said to herself, “It is true tcK 
night that I am my brother’s keeper.” 

Lucile Cameron seemed to have forgotten 
her environment and her sad plight, and her 
awful condition of disgrace; her thoughts, 
being concentrated on her charge which was 
lying before her. 

She broke out in deep sobs with a "ery 
pitiful cry, “Oh, why should the innocent be 
compelled to suffer this way? Oh for an 
unseen hand to touch the hearts of enough 
good men and women so that they would be 
aroused to the sense of their duty and ;he 
obligations they owe to their brother man, 
the obligations they owe to their state, and 
above all the obligations they owe to their 
Creator; and also that they might have the 
Christian fortitude to strike the blow that 
would eliminate such an evil and curse from 
our land.” 

At that moment Lucile clutched her fist 
and seemingly rising in her womanhood with 
new faith and courage, she said, “I will de- 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 19 

liver my speech on the liquor business and 
woman's rights before the sun goes down 
this day." 

Just at the dawn of the morning Willie 
Cameron awoke from his drunken slumber 
and when he saw his sister by his side he 
was almost speechless. ‘‘Oh, sister,” he ex- 
claimed, “why are you here? It makes me 
so sad to see you here in this dungeon of 
muck and vermin and stench.” I do not 
mind it at all, Willie, if you will make me a 
pledge that you will not drink any more.” 

“Oh, sister, I would be so glad to do so, 
but I can't, I cannot, I am the worst wretch 
under the sun, don't call me brother any 
more, I am not worthy of that name. Your 
lips are too clean to utter the name of such 
an outcast as I am ; I have not only brought 
disgrace to our home ; I have not only broken 
mother's heart, but I have dragged you down 
to the pits of shame and into this miserable 
place ; never take me by the hand again, let 
me go, let me leave this town, even this 
country and go out into the wilderness and 


20 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

dwell with the beasts of the field, for the 
lowest beasts are to good to keep my 
company/^ 

Just at that juncture the lock on the cell 
door clicked and two policemen stepped in 
and with a harsh and gurgling tone of voice, 
said, ‘‘You are wanted in the court,'' and 
they rushed them before Judge Barton. 

At that moment a pale faced woman 
stepped in the court room and went straight 
to the prison bar, and when she had glanced 
at the prisoners, she staggered and almost 
fell before them, and exclaimed in a very 
pathetic tone, “Oh, Lucile! Oh, Willie! Is 
it possible that rum has brought you to 
this?" And when she had regained control 
of herself she turned to Judge Barton and 
said. Judge, these are my children. Willie 
stayed out late last night,, Lucile went after 
him and you see the result; I will pay 
Willie's fine for being drunk if you will re- 
lease him at once." “Go, I will gladly do 
so," replied the Judge, so they left the court 
room together with heavy hearts. 


CHAPTER III. 


THE DISGRACE OP LUCILE CAMERON BEING 
REVEALED TO THE SHARP FAMILY'. 

The servant had just rung the breakfast 
bell, Judge Sharp, with a pale face, came 
into the beautiful dining room and seated 
himself near the dining table with the morn- 
ing paper in his hand. 

The dining room was built on the old- 
fashioned order, with exquisite curtains 
hanging from the windows, with large pic- 
tures upon the wall of the heroes of the war 
of '75, also a picture of the old liberty bell 
had a very prominent place on the old-fash- 
ioned mantlepiece. Its lofty ceiling was 
frescoed in sectional pannels by a great ar- 
tist, in fact everything was very neat and 
the very atmosphere of the dining room was 
somewhat appetizing to anyone whose 
night's rest did not bring a good appetite 
for the morning meal. 


22 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


Tommy and Effie Sharp glided into the 
room and took their usual seats on either 
side of their father. Since their mother's 
death they desired to stay very close to 
their father and comfort him with any 
words they might say or anything they 
might be able to do for him. 

In a moment Judge Sharp gave a furtive 
glance at Tommy and Effie and said with a 
trembling voice, “I have some sad intelli- 
gence for you this morning. I will read it 
to you." 

''A woman calling herself Lucile Cameron 
was found robbing a drunk man last night 
at 12:30, at Tenth and Main and was put 
in a lock-up." 

Tommy Sharp rose and clenched his fist 
and said, “It's a lie." “I know it is," said 
Effie curtly. “I know tnat Lucile Cameron 
would not do such a thing as that." “But," 
said Judge sharp, “here it is in big head 
lines, 'Lucile Cameron, 1742 H. Avenue,' 
and you know that is her number." 

“Now, my son, aren't you glad that you 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


23 


tilted that Cameron girl last Sunday?’' 

'‘Daddy, I deny the charge ; she tilted me. 
I love Lucile. I don’t care what they say 
about her, I would give this world for her 
hand.” 

Thomas Sharp abruptly arose and left 
the room, muttering in a low tone, threats 
against anyone who would bring disgrace 
upon Lucile Cameron without a cause. 

As Thomas Sharp took his seat in the 
parlor behind closed doors his thoughts ran 
back to Lucile Cameron’s graduating day. 
He thought how exquisite was her graduat- 
ing dress ; how lithe her form ; how accurate 
her steps when she moved from one position 
to another; how gracefully she stood while 
the President presented her diploma tied 
with beautiful blue ribbon; how jubilant 
he felt when, now and then, she would give 
him a furtive look, and how his heart did 
leap when she passed down the aisle and, 
seemingly, came his way to touch his hand, 
and he declared to himself as he mused over 
the past that the beautiful Queen of the 


24 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


East would Took homely by the side of the 
^‘Queen of his heart/' He muttered again 
to himself, "‘I know that Lucile is not guilty ; 
it is a fabrication of lies and I trust some 
day we will be able to prove that Lucile 
Cameron is the purest and sweetest young 
lady that ever walked the streets of this old 
sin cursed city." 

As Thomas Sharp left the room, Judge 
Sharp turned to Effie and said, “My daugh- 
ter I have desired to have a private talk 
with you about that Cameron boy ; he seems 
to come here very often. Has he ever made 
love to you?" 

“Now, father," Effie Sharp replied, “you 
need not bother yourself about Willie Cam- 
eron ; I once thought a great deal of Willie," 
and her voice trembled with emotion, and 
she could scarcely articulate a sentence, for 
it seemed that her heart being filled with 
emotion, not only expressed herself in her 
faltering voice, but she was wiping big 
tears from her cheeks, and with this embar- 
rassment she continued her conversation. 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


25 


“Father, Willie has taken up the awful 
drink habit and the last time he asked me 
for my company I refused him and it seemed 
to break his heart. Father, it seems that 
part of my heart is gone, I have been sad 
and melancholy ever since.” 

“Why don't you and other leading poli- 
ticians rise up and lead a force against the 
demon drink; to eliminate it from the coun- 
try it would not only save our young men 
from the pits of debauchery and shame, 
but would prolong the life of our nation, 
and bring joy and peace and contentment 
into a thousand homes, and prolong the lives 
of many mothers so that they would be able 
to exchange the garments of mourning for 
garments of peace and enjoyment.” But 
here Effie was overcome with emotion, bury- 
ing her head in her hands and weeping aloud 
for several minutes; but when she regained 
her composure she said; “father, do you 
know that Mrs. Cameron is heart-broken 
over Willie's downfall and she is gradually 
dying on her feet?” 


26 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


“Oh, isn't it horrible, that the govern- 
ment is so unjust as to give a license to a 
saloon to grind the life and character out 
of the youth of our land and to drag down 
poor mothers with grief to an untimely 
grave.” 

“I am so glad that there were enough 
good men and good women in Tennessee and 
several other of our great States, to drive 
the demon drink from their fair borders. 
Give the women their rights and we will 
drive this monster from the whole United 
States before 1920.” 

“I know,” said Effie, “ that where there 
is sin committed there must be great atone- 
ment; that Tennessee has been steeped so 
many years in the liquor traffic and the devil 
had used so many instrumentalities in pro- 
pagating his doctrine of intemperance that 
it took the blood of one of the best citizens 
of Tennessee to atone for this great sin, and 
that great man was Judge Carmack. It 
was the case of the innocent suffering for the 
guilt of others, but from the spirit of that 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 27 

great man arose an influence that permeated 
every nook and corner of old Tennessee, until 
thousands who were in tne bondage of drink 
have been freed from this monster and such 
men as Judge Patterson and others are 
stumping the country in behalf of prohibi- 
tion.” 

“Well, Effie,” said Mr. Sharp, “you are 
quite an orator this morning.” 

“Well,” retorted Effie, “I think if anyone 
had a spark of oratory in them such a sub- 
ject as this would fan it into a flame. I see 
some of our best young men grappling with 
this monster drink, and it seems that the 
powers of darkness are forging chains and 
shackles to carry off our young men into 
bondage, and if we should be free we must 
strike the blow and free our land from such 
bondage, and if the men will not do this, 
I think that the mothers and sisters and 
daughters ought to summon all powers that 
it is possible to mobilize and make an attack 
on this arch-enemy of noble manhood and 
womanhood.” 


28 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


''Now/' said Judge Sharp, "this is enough 
of that for this time ; there is one more thing 
I want to say to you Effie, and also I must 
say it to Tommy. I must not catch you in 
company with those Camerons anymore ; you 
can’t afford to be degraded by them, nor 
even have your name mentioned in connec- 
tion with them.” 

After Judge Sharp delivered this little 
speech he left the room. 


CHAPTER IV. 

LUCILE CAMERON, THE ORATOR. 

It was a beautiful spring morning, flowers 
were blooming everywhere and all nature 
seemed to be smiling on everybody. 

The people were crowding down the 
streets, and cheers were heard on all sides 
when friends would meet; all faces seemed 
to be shining with vigor and youth in keep- 
ing with all nature. But there was one sad 
face and heavy heart. Lucile Cameron was 
wending her way to Judge Sharp's office 
and she was almost thinking aloud, ‘‘how 
beautiful and happy this world would be 
if wicked men had not made poisonous liquors 
to lure our young men to a place where they 
develop an appetite for something that will 
ultimately destroy their character and man- 
hood and lead them to destruction.'' 

“They have done this in order to satisfy 


30 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

their greed for gain of money — they are 
swapping the blood of our youth for gold 
and silver/' 

‘‘Oh, it makes my heart ache ; I can hardly 
stand it” In a few minutes Lucile had 
walked from her home to Judge Sharp's 
office and was now standing ringing the 
door bell. A heavy voice was heard from 
the inside: ‘"Come in." At that moment 
Lucile Cameron pushed open the door and 
stood before Judge Sharp. 

The moment that Lucile had closed the 
door behind her she removed her gloves and 
extended her hand as usual to Judge Sharp 
for a warm handshake. As Judge Sharp 
made no effort to rise from his seat and greet 
her in his usual way, a coldness stole over 
Lucile's heart, for it just dawned upon her 
that people were beginning to turn their 
backs upon her for the sin that Willie had 
committed, as she thought, for it never 
had occurred to her what the papers might 
have reported about her on the night she 
was cast into prison. 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


31 


When Lucile Cameron had seated her- 
self, because Judge Sharp had not even 
asked her to take a seat, he adjusted his 
glasses on his long aquiline nose and turned 
to her abruptly and demanded of her what he 
could do for her, and that he would desire 
that the conversation should not be very long 
as it was a very busy day with him. 

Those words almost broke Lucile's heart 
because Judge Sharp had always treated her 
as a daughter and called her by her pet name 
‘^Lucy.’^ 

But, just at that moment Lucile recalled 
a note that she had received from Thomas 
Sharp with some statements that seemed so 
mysterious to her then, but very clear to 
her now, since she considered the cold and 
sordid way in which Judge Sharp receivea 
her. 

Lucile finally braced up and fixed her 
eyes on him and said, “Judge Sharp, I have 
come this morning to deliver a message to 
you that has been on my heart for several 
months.'’ 


32 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


“Now Lucile/' said Judge Sharp, “before 
you deliver your little speech, I want to call 
your attention to a few things, that God cre- 
ated man first and he is to rule over every- 
thing, even woman, and that Eve was the 
first to fall and not Adam, and the woman's 
sphere of activity is limited to the wishes 
of man and to the home." 

“I am so glad, Judge Sharp, that you 
started out with that point. I want to put 
the character of woman by the side of the 
character of man and then we will see which 
of the two is the stronger." 

“It is true. Judge Sharp, that God did 
create man and said he should subdue the 
earth, but that was before woman was cre- 
ated, and when God saw that Adam needed 
a helper, and I do not not know what men 
would do today without women to help them, 
he created woman to be a helper not a slave." 

“So you men want us women to help you 
in the field, in the kitchen, in the stores and 
in the shops, and many other places I have 
not time to mention, bui when it comes to 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


33 


help you at the ballot box to save our boys, 
homes and country, you cry out against us.*' 

“Oh, I see,” said Judge Sharp, answering 
archly. “You are a suffragette.” 

“You can call me what you please; I am 
for woman's rights now and as long as I 
live.” 

“Give the fair ladies of this country a 
chance and they will show you what they 
can do for tnis nation. It is conceded by all 
orators, and you men have a few among you, 
that the home is the cradle of the nation 
and as a mother's hands administer to the 
incipient child until it develops into strong 
manhood or womanhood, and we might also 
add that a river never rises above its source, 
so according to this argument, our govern- 
ment is built on the character of woman in- 
stead of the character of man.” 

At this juncture Judge Sharp looKed Lu- 
cile in the face with a cynical expression and 
said, “Now, you know. Miss Cameron, that 
Eve was the weaker character of the two. 
Eve fell first, and by her fall she brought 


34 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


all nations down to the pits of sin and de- 
struction.” 

''I think you are mistaken in this matter,” 
retorted Lucile, “for it took all the devils in 
hell to cause Eve to fall but Eve just gave 
Adam a furtive glance and said, 'husband, 
taste this nice fruit' and he gladly gulped it 
down, and you know the results.” 

“Now, Judge Sharp, you can be the judge 
in this case. It took ah the devils in hell 
to cause a woman to fall and only one word 
from a woman caused the man to fall, and 
more, woman was created out of better ma- 
terial than the first man; man was created 
out of the dust of the earth. The first wo- 
man was created out of a rib from the man's 
side; so you see that woman was created in 
a higher sphere than man, she was created 
in the second realm of development where 
material had crystalized into a more sub- 
stantial thing than the dust of the earth.” 

“But wait a moment,” said the Judge, 
as he threw himself back in his office chair, 
with a sinister smile on his face, “it is true 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


35 


that man was made from the dust of the 
earth and woman from a little higher de- 
velopment of material, but we must note 
where this material came from. It came 
from man's side." 

“I am so glad," Lucile replied, “that your 
argument has drifted in this channel. It 
seems that you are arguing my case for me. 
While, to be sure, the rib was taken from 
man's side from which woman was created, 
that is a strong point in women having equal 
right with men." 

Judge Sharp seemed to be somewhat at 
a loss to present further argument against 
a young lady with such an astute mind, 
strong character and, seemingly, with a 
natural insight to the physiology and psy- 
chology of the age, and who was always 
ready to take care of all the psychological 
moments m the conversation. 

“Well, Miss Cameron, I am bound to ac- 
knowledge that men and women were made 
equal by the process of creation and the 
good book says that man and wife shall be 
one flesh." 


M MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

''So it is/' retorted Lucile. "One flesh 
in marriage, one flesh at home, but when 
we come to the ballot box then we are com- 
pelled to have a separation; it is not right; 
I hope to see the day when all women shall 
have their rights." 

"Now, if you will listen to me for a few 
minutes I’ll prove to you by both Biblical 
and general history that women have figured 
largely in the crisis of Church and State." 

She demurred for a moment, then began 
to speak. "It was a mother in Israel who 
cared for the child Moses and preserved his 
life and when he became a man he was pre- 
pared for any duty that should devolve upon 
him.” 

"He led Israel out of bondage and chang- 
ed both Biblical and political history by 
giving the world a law that has stood the at- 
tacks of infidels through all the centuries." 

"It was Rahab the harlot who rescued 
the men sent out by Moses to spy out the 
country and to seek an entrance into the 
Promised Land." 

"Also it was Esther, a brave woman, who 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


37 


saved her people from an awful death, which 
was intrigued by cruel men/' 

‘‘And it was the Virgin of Israel who gave 
birth to the Savior of the world and the good 
women followed the Lord of Glory and ad- 
ministered to his wants, and when he was 
nailed to the ruthless cross, and when the 
men had fled from him, the good women 
watched him from afar off. They were the 
last at the tomb and the first to find that 
he had risen from the dead. In fact, the 
first sermon of the Resurrection was preach- 
ed by a woman.” 

“Oh, I see,” said Judge Sharp, “you seem 
to speak inordinately like many theologues.” 

“You can call me any kind of a ‘log' you 
want but I still have more that I want you 
to hear.” 

Here, Lucile veered a little and said, “I 
do not care to make you indignant or worry 
you, but if I can persuade you to help us in 
our good cause I think we can win out in the 
end.” 

“Now, let us look at general history a 


38 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


little. I know you are familiar with the 
story of Joan of Arc. When the English had 
beatep the French at Orleans and they 
skulked away like whipped curs, and practi- 
cally turned Orleans over to the British as 
they had given up all hope of saving their 
fair land from the ravaging hand of the 
enemy, Joan of Arc, only a peasant girl, rode 
through the French camp and stirred the 
soldiers with her bravery and patriotism 
until they rose up with new courage and de- 
livered their fair city from the hands of the 
British and saved France, their fair country, 
from disgrace and utter destruction.” 

“Now we come to the mothers of our 
own revolution in 1775. History teaches us 
while our forefathers went to the front to 
fight for our liberty, that their wives and 
mothers stayed at home and made bread 
with their own hands to support the soldiers. 
So we are bound to admit that the women 
had as much to do with bringing aoout re- 
ligious and political liberty in our beloved 
country as the men who went to the front 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


39 


lines to battle with the British army. 

“And then why not allow them the same 
privilege to enjoy the religious and political 
freedom we have, as the men, for if you 
would withhold the kind hand of a patient 
mother from the training of the youth for 
a half century we would have a despotic 
government.” 

“Now, have you thought a moment what 
good women did in Illinois just a few months 
ago, when they were permitted to exercise 
their political rights. They rose up in one 
day and put several hundred saloons out of 
business with their ballot.” 

“Give us our rights and we will show 
what we can do for our country.” 

Now, Lucile turned seemingly with new 
fervor, addressing Judge Sharp, “You know, 
that some men of science teach that man has 
a stronger intellect than woman, and if you 
will give them the privilege to vote they will 
not be able to vote intelligently like the men 
and it would be impossible for them to use 
their power for the good of the country.” 


40 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


“That argument might be true in a great 
measure, that is, if you take the normal man 
and normal woman and compare them you 
might find man a stronger character, but for 
ages the demon drink has been lowering the 
standard of men, and even in some places 
education and refinement have been retarded 
by those who were favoring strong drink 
rather than the care and development of 
the character of boys and girls as they come 
on the scene of activity. But, on the othei 
hand, education and refinement have been 
raising the standard of women and now we 
have women in practically all the callings of 
life, such as teachers, doctors, lawyers, and 
many other vocations of life, and I believe 
today that the judgment of a great many 
women of this country is much better than 
that of an equal number of men, who have 
their minds warped with bad liquor, politics 
and the greed for gain.” 

“Oh,” said Judge Sharp, “if we would list- 
en to you ladyfolks we would try to make 
this old earth a paradise.” 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


41 


said Lucile, ‘'if we could get rid of 
the demon drink from this country and 
break the powers of sin and release the noble 
spirits that are in bondage because of these 
evils, the country would be a place of trans- 
cend beauty, a place of exquisite joy, where 
the anger of the Creator would be placated 
and the weary would be at rest.” 

“Oh, I am so glad that the day will come 
when the light of this world will be swallowed 
up by the more brilliant light of Glory, and 
then we shall rise up in ecstacy in that 
beautiful morning to praise Him who ruleth 
over all the world.” 

“Oh, you seem to be speaking ecstatical- 
ly,” said Judge Sharp, “and I think we had 
better close this interview for this time. I 
will consider your plea and give you an 
answer in a few days.” 

“But there is one thing more I want to 
say to you. Miss Cameron, before you leave 
this room ; it is this, that if you leave liquor 
alone it will leave you alone. I take a drink 
when I want it and you know you never saw 
me drunk.” 


42 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


Lucile began to turn pale, and answered 
in a trembling voice 'That the devil never 
did teach a bigger lie than that. For an 
example, I and my dear mother let liquor 
alone but it never let us alone; it came into 
our home and robbed us of my only brother, 
one so dear to us, and also robbed me of 

and here her voice failed her and 

Judge Sharp, seeming to understand, fell 
back in his chair, his face turning pale, he 
being not able to articulate a sentence, 
but finally he muttered to himself, "Is it 
possible that Tommy is drinking.'' "Oh it 
is so terrible," said Lucile, "I must tell you 
the truth. The last night that Tommy 
came to see me his breath was freighted 
with the bad odor of whiskey and he stag- 
gered when he came in at the door, so I 
told him not to call on me anymore unless 
he could be a man, but I love 

Now, that is enough of that — my boy is 
a gentleman and you never saw a well dress- 
ed man in the gutter," said Judge Sharp. 

"Well, that might be true," Lucile replied. 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


43 


‘‘As a general rule they start to drink with 
some money and a few fine clothes, but 
as they continue this evil habit it drags them 
down until they spend their money and trade 
off their clothes and when you find them in 
the gutter you find them in rags, so I think 
the greatest curse that rum brings to a 
poor wretch is that it robs him of his dignity 
as a citizen and as a father/' 

At this juncture Lucile closed her speech, 
rose and immediately bade Judge Sharp 
good-bye and closed the door behind her. 

Judge Sharp remained sitting in the same 
position with a pale face, determined to 
know something of his boy's debauchery; 
repeated to himself in a low tone, “Oh, 1 
can't believe it, I will not believe it, my boy 
is a gentleman. I will see him at once and 
know the whole truth." 


CHAPTER V. 

WILLIE CAMERON’S LAST EVENING AT HOME 
AS A DRUNKARD. 

The beautiful spring day was coming to 
a close. The sun was hiding itself behind 
the treetops and the last flickering rays 
were lingering on the hill side. 

The air was filled with the sweet odor of 
the magnolia, the nightingale was singing 
down the close of day. 

Effie Sharp was standing looking toward 
the Cameron home, the place forbidden her 
to visit. 

She was thinking of Willie Cameron as 
he used to be before he had given himself 
over to drink. He was handsome, very kind 
to all and one of the best young men in the 
whole city, but now, strong drink had drag- 
ged him down to the dogs and she had turn- 
ed her back upon him. 

And, as she was standing gazing into 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


45 


the limitless skies she seemed to hear a voice, 
very audible, calling to her, “Where is thy 
lover?'' and she could not answer, only in 
the voice of Cain of old, “Am I my lover's 
keeper ?" 

“Oh, why did I turn my back upon him. 
If I had given him a helping hand I might 
have saved him." 

She turned and went through the back 
gate and entered the Cameron home from 
the back way, and to Effie's surprise, there 
sat Willie Cameron on the back porch steps 
with his head buried in his hand, weeping 
aloud, saying, “I do not want to live any 
longer — all have turned their back on me 
and I am an outcast. I think I will end all 
this trouble tonight." 

When Effie Sharp reached his side she 
gently placed her hand on his shoulder. “Oh, 
Willie, don't don't do thac." He looked up 
through his blinding tears. “Is it truly you, 
Effie — is it possible that you would stoop so 
low to come to me a whining cur, for my 
companions now are only the curs that walk 


46 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


the gutters, but you seem to come to me in 
this trying hour as an angel, a messenger 
of life, just to look upon your face gives me 
hope in life/^ 

By this time Willie had seized Effie’s ex- 
tended hand to draw her closer to him. 
“No,'' said Effie, “I cannot be the same to 
you that I used to be. You are my novitate 
now, I have you on probation. If you will 
quit that awful drinking I will give you both 
my heart and hand." 

“I am only here this evening as a friend 
to help you any way I can out of your trouble. 
Oh, can't you quit that bad habit for 
mother's sake and for sister's sake and for 

" and here she broke out in a sob — “Oh, 

Willie this world would be so beautiful and 
we would be so happy if you could be a man 
again. Can't you summons your manhood 
and extricate yourself from this horrible pit 
into which you have fallen?' 

“Oh, I would give this world to do so," 
said Willie, with a far away look in his eyes. 
“I have tried every plan to quit it. You 


MY BROTHER'S KEEPER 


47 


know how many times I have lied to you 
about it; I have sworn by everything that 
is good that I will quit strong drink, but 
every time I have broken my promise and 
heaped more curses upon my head/' 

“I have played with drink like Samson 
played with the Philistine woman; I have 
risen many times and, as I thought, exerted 
my strength over my enemy; but at last I 
arose only to find my strength gone and my- 
self in the entanglement of my enemy. I 
know that strong drink is a greater menance 
to the soul than any other evil but I cannot 
quit it; it hunts me like a wild beast does 
its prey, and now I am lost to the world, to 
home and to mother, and to all that is good." 

‘‘And now, Effie, something tells me that 
our parting hour has come." 

She extended to him her hand with sobs 
and tears, and he took it kindly and, pressed 
it to his lips, and in a moment Effie was lost 
from his view in the twilight. 

Mrs. Cameron had finished the prepara- 
tion for the evening meal and stepped quiet- 


48 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

ly to the door, seeing Willie sitting on the 
steps leading into the dining hall, exclaimed, 
“Oh, Willie, I am so glad that you are not 
going out this evening, I have fixed a nice 
dinner for you and it will bring such joy to 
our hearts to be together once more at the 
evening meal/^ 

He arose, brushing tears from his cheeks, 
entered the dining hall and took his seat at 
his old place. “It looks so natural,” ex- 
claimed his mother, “to have you sitting in 
your same old place; how sad it makes Lu- 
cile and myself when we gather at this hour 
each evening to partake of our evening re- 
past and see your vacant chair. Willie, 
will you not promise mother that you will 
not go out tonight.” “Fll do my best,” he 
answered, with an uncertain sound in his 
voice, but when supper was over Willie went 
to the front porch and sat down in the porch 
swing. 

The full moon had just risen in all its 
effulgence and was flooding the earth with 
its silver light. The iridescent milky way 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


49 


spanned the sky. And as Willie gazed upon 
them he said, “How beautiful is God's cre- 
ation, only man is vile." But the voice of 
the haunts of evil began to call him and the 
thirst for one more drink urged him on, un- 
til he exclaimed, “I must go — only one drink 
tonight and I will return." He put on his 
hat and walked deliberately out of the gate, 

but little did he think that it would be many 

* 

months before he would see that home again, 

Mrs. Cameron came to the door just as 
Willie slammed the gate behind him. 

“Oh," she exclaimed. “He is gone. 
How I wish I could have kept him just for 
one night." Mrs. Cameron turned to Lucile, 
who had just come to her side and said, 
“Now, Lucile, you look so pale tonight you 
go to bed and I will keep watch for Willie 
and if he does not come back by twelve 
o'clock tonight, I will go after him myself 
and I will go into the deepest recesses of the 
dives in this city to find him." 

As Lucile was exhausted from the fatigue 
of the day she turned and kissed her mother 


50 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


good night and went to her room to spend a 
sleepless night, because the thought of Wil- 
lie and the one she loved gave her so much 
concern she could not rest. 

Mrs. Cameron sat on the porch looking 
down the street in the direction that her 
boy had gone, hoping every moment to see 
him return, but all in vain, for at last the 
town clock struck twelve and Willie had not 
returned. 

Mrs. Cameron rose slowly, put on her 
bonnet and started in the direction the bo.? 
had gone, and as she went she said to her- 
self, “I know where I will find him; I will 
go to Tenth and Main, to old Bill Davis’ 
saloon.” 

‘‘Oh, I long for the day when good men 
and women will come to the front in govern- 
ing this town and destroy those dens of 
vipers. How they lure our boys into their 
dens and strike them with their poisonous 
fangs and send them out to reel, and fall 
and die by the wayside.” 

By this time Mrs. Cameron had arrived 


i^ir 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


51 


at old Bill Davis' saloon, or den, as it was 
commonly called. 

As she came to the door she looked in 
and there stood her boy drinking and cursing 
among a large crowd of ruffians. She push- 
ed her way to Willie's side and put her hand 
on his shoulder, but before she could speak 
a word one of the ruffians called out to him 
‘‘Look out Bill," for that is what they called 
him in the den, “there is that old hag after 
you again." 

Willie was so drunk he could hardly stand 
up and as he turned he had a beer bottle in 
his hand so he struck the woman by his side 
over the eye, the bottle was broken all to 
pieces, and the woman (who was Willie's 
mother) fell to the floor with the blood 
gushing from the awful wound the bottle 
had inflicted. 

“Eph," said one. “You have made a fine 
lick old boy, she will never bother you again." 

But the shock had sobered Willie up and 
vrhe:: ""itii trembling hands he removed the 
bonnet from the face of his victim, he fell 


52 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


back and exclaimed, “Oh, my soul, I have 
killed my mother, Oh, what must I do — Oh, 
what must I do. Go for a doctor — go quick.'' 

Bill Davis, the saloon keeper, crept up to 
Willie, as he was bending over his mother 
weeping, and said, “Now, Bill, old boy, there 
is only one thing left for you to do, to save 
me, and my business and yourself, for if this 
atrocious crime should be known to the city 
that crazy mob of prohibitionists would use 
that against me and have my place of busi- 
ness closed. Let these boys carry this 
woman to the street and put her down in 
the gutter and you leave this town tonight." 

“Oh, how can I do it — how can I be so 
cruel — ^how can I treat my own dear mother 
so — cannot, I cannot. A beast would be 
more kindly disposed to its mate than I 
would be to my mother." 

“But listen, boy, you can either do this 
or I will blow your brains out and throw both 
of you into the river— I repeat that if this 
deed should come to the knowledge of the 
public my place of business would be closed." 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


53 


“I will have four men to swear that they 
saw that woman that you call your mother, 
slip and fall on the street and as she fell she 
struck her head against the curb, so you will 
be safe and I will be saved, and also perchance 
it will save the life of your mother/’ 

Willie took the second look at his mother, 
and said to himself, ''She might live yet and 
if I leave town I might save both of our 
lives.” So he wiped the blood from her fore- 
head, and with blinding tears he kissed her 
good bye and left the room. 

At that juncture two big, robust police- 
men stepped in and said, "Hello, Bill, what’s 
this?” pointing to the woman lying on the 
saloon floor. The saloon keeper quickly 
called them aside and soon explained his. 
plan to cover up the deed, so they being pro- 
tectors of the saloons rather than protec- 
tors of human lives, they consented to his 
plan, but only told him to use precaution and 
not to let it get out for it might hurt them 
too, because they were so vitally connected 
wdth the saloon element. 


54 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


So, old Bill's plans were carried out. Four 
men seized the poor, frail woman and carried 
her to the gutter, and only withdrew a few 
feet in order that they might execute the 
last part of old Bill Davis' edict. Only a few 
moments had passed when the same police- 
men who had the conversation with the 
saloon keeper, passed that way and saw the 
w^oman in the gutter. 

They turned to the men standing by and 
addressed them as though they thought they 
were the men who committed the deed. '‘Say 
did any of you see how this happened?*' 
"Yes, sir. Boss, I jist was going to call for— 
youse — she jist was plodding along de side 
walk and stepped on a banana peeling which 
slipped from under her and carried both feet 
with it, she fell and struck her head against 
the curbing and she ain't got up yet." 

Next morning the morning papers had 
big headlines describing the accident that 
occurred to Mrs. Cameron, because after 
they had placed her in the hospital she was 
identified by one of her friends. 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


55 


The deed was covered up; old Bill Davis 
stood behind his bar gloating over the fact 
that he had ability, not only to cause crime, 
but to cover up crime, which he said was 
necessary for any saloon keeper to have if 
they expected to do business successfully in 
a large city like Fort Worth. 

Next morning when Mrs. Cameron awoke 
from her state of stupidity, she found Lucile 
by her side, with pale face, weeping bitterly. 

^‘Oh, don't weep that way, Lucile," Mrs. 
Cameron said, will not die. I will live to 
help you in your stupendous task of saving 
your brother." And here she seemed to 
grow weak and to collapse into a state of 
unconsciousness for a few moments. 

''Don't talk, mother," Lucile cried. 
"Mother it was an awful accident that hap- 
pened to you. Look here, the morning paper 
has it in big headlines. Listen, mother, I 
will read it to you." "Well, read on, Lucile 
and I will listen." 

So she read. "An awful accident hap- 
pened to Mrs. Cameron last night, as she 


56 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


was walking down the street at a late hour. 
Her foot slipped on a banana peeling, she 
fell and struck her head against the curbing, 
which inflicted an ugly wound over her right 
eye. The doctors thought it was fatal but, 
after a close examination, they think she 
has a chance to recover and that with proper 
care she will be convalescent in a few days.” 

Although Mrs. Cameron was suffering 
very much, yet her heart leaped with joy 
when she saw that the crime was so com- 
pletely covered up that the disgrace of her 
boy would not come to light, and that she 
would rather bear the pain and burden of 
the secret than to have her boy convicted 
and put in stripes behind the bars. So she 
said to herself, 'T will let it go that way, for 
how many mothers are carrying such bur- 
dens in their hearts in order that they might 
save their sons from open disgrace.” 

So in a few days Mrs. Cameron was well 
enough to be conveyed to her home, where 
she could rest quietly and regain her streng- 
th again. 


CHAPTER VI. 

A VISIT TO THE TABERNACLE. 

Mrs. Cameron had just recovered from 
her long illness, which was caused by the 
wound she had received on her head. She 
was sitting in the parlor with Lucile close 
by her side; they were talking over the ex- 
perience they had had in the two months 
that had passed. 

The door bell rang and by the time Lucile 
reached the door a newsboy open the screen 
and dropped a card and paper, and in a few 
minutes was running down the streets cry- 
ing “Extra! Extra! All about the indict- 
ment of J. Frank Norris for burning his 
church. 

Lucile picked up the card, and her face 
somewhat glowed with delight when she 
read it. 


58 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


^^HEAR 

J. FRANK NORRIS 

AT THE BIG TABERNACLE TONIGHT. 

Subject: 

The powers that are crushing the 
poor and how to get rid of them.^^ 

‘*Oh, mother, we must go tonight,’' Lu- 
cile said. 'T am so anxious to hear the man 
we have read so much about and whose name 
has been discussed so freely both by the poor 
and rich. Some curse him, others praise 
him; and all the liquor men and their sup- 
porters, and some happen to be preachers, 
denounce him as the biggest criminal out 
of jail; some say he burned his own house 
and church, but I do not believe it. I think 
it is jealousy among some that make them 
talk this way and fear among others.” 

'Well, there is one thing about it, Lu- 
cile,” Mrs. Cameron said, "they all concede 
that he is a friend to the poor and is leading 
a force against the liquor traffic that will 
ultimately drive it from the state, and I 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


59 


think all good people ought to give him their 
hearty support/’ 

**So if you will help me get my frock 
ready we will attend the services tonight 
and help this noble man with our presence/’ 

At 7:30, Lucile and Mrs. Cameron had 
found their way up to the big tabernacle 
and were led up the aisle by the usher, who 
was very sedate and considerate of them 
and with great care selected a comfortable 
seat for them near the speaker. 

In a few minutes the large tabernacle, 
which would accommodate about three thous- 
and people, was filled to overfiowing, and 
some were almost fighting for standing 
room. 

Extra trains were running in from neigh- 
boring towns and cities, bringing hundreds 
of men and women who were anxious to 
hear this great preacher. 

Everyone sat almost breathless as the 
first evening hymn had died away on 
the air. Some one was approaching the 
speakers stand. In a moment the tabernacle 


60 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

was roaring in cheers for Dr. Norris. Dr. 
Norris greeted the congregation with a polite 
bow and with a wave of his hand there was 
perfect silence among the great multitude, 
and it seemed that every face was bending 
forward to catch the first words that would 
fall from his lips. 

Dr. Norris was a young man about thirty- 
six years old, about six feet high, somewhat 
slender in his make-up; he had a shrill 
voice that would stir his congregation from 
the smallest to the greatest, but the most 
attractive feature about him was his keen 
eyes. He had eyes like an eagle which were 
always on the alert to catch the slightest 
move of his listeners. 

He began that night by saying that 
‘‘there were two classes of people in the 
world, the masses and the asses, or the op- 
pressed and the oppressors, and I think it 
is time for us to throw off the yoke of the 
oppressors.” And here the applauses were 
so numerous that the speaker was compelled 
tb stop for a few moments. “Yes, yes,” 


MY' BROTHER'S KEEPER 


61 


rang out from hundreds of voices, “and we 
need a man like you to lead us in this cam- 
paign.” And the speaker continued. 

“The history of all hitherto existing so- 
ciety is the history of class struggles, free- 
man and slave, patrician and plebian. Lord 
and serf, guild master and journeyman — ^in 
a word oppressor and oppressed stood in 
constant opposition with one another, carried 
on an uninterrupted, now hidden, now open, 
fight. A fight that each time ended either 
in a revolutionary reconstruction of society 
at large or in common ruin of the contend- 
ing classes.” 

“In the early epochs of history you find 
almost everywhere a complicated arrange- 
ment of society in various orders, a manifold 
gradation of social rank.” 

“In ancient Rome we have patricians, 
knights, plebians, slaves, in the middle ages, 
feudel lords, vassals, guild masters, journey- 
men, apprentices, serfs, and almost all of 
these classes again sub-ordinate gradua- 
tions. The modern bourgeois society that 


62 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


has sprouted from the feudel society has not 
done away with class antagonism/^ 

*‘It has but established new classes, new 
conditions of oppression, new forms of strug- 
gle in place of the old ones, and the only hope 
for the nation to extricate itself from the 
sad condition in which so many have fallen, 
is that the common people should be educat- 
ed to higher ideals, and by leading others to 
see these ideals will be able to raise them 
from the squalidness into which they have 
fallen to a higher plane of living. Give the 
people a chance and they will show you what 
they can do.” Here great applause. 

The speaker continues, ‘T will take up 
now the second part of my discussion.” 

‘Who are the oppressed and the oppress- 
ors in the liquor business?” 

“Now, I think we can see at once without 
stud5dng the question very closely who are 
the oppressed. The children and wives of 
drunkards and some of the best mothers in 
this land and some of our noble fathers, are 
being oppressed beyond human endurance by 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


63 


the influence of the liquor traffic. There are 
thousands of voices of little children that are 
coming up from our cities daily, crying for 
bread because of the oppression that is 
brought upon them through their fathers by 
the demon drink. There are enough groans 
going up to Heaven from the hearts of 
fathers and mothers whose sons and daugh- 
ters have brought reproach upon them 
through the influence of liquor to almost 
bring the stars down to earth to sympathize 
with them.'' 

“But, if there are such here tonight under 
the sound of my voice, let me say to you, 
take courage — lift up your heads, for you 
will soon be delivered from your oppressors." 

“The birds are already beginning to sing 
for the morning light — the dawn of a new 
day is upon us — the light is coming from 
the east that will soon light the whole world 
and then we will be free from the oppression 
of the demon drink and its supporters." 

At this point Lucile leaned over to her 
mother and whispered in her ear, “Mother, 


64 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


he is a prophet, he is living many years ahead 
of his generation. I think his speech is an 
utopia of the coming centuries.'' 

'Well, Lucile," Mrs. Cameron replied, "it 
would be glorious if it would come in our 
day. I think his reference to the light in 
the East is that he has confidence that the 
same spirit that caused Tennessee to go dry 
will give the temperance wave such an im- 
petuous that it will pass over this whole 
country of ours." 

Now, at this juncture Dr. Norris paused 
a moment, and then continued his discourse. 
"The oppressors," the speaker said, "we 
will sum up in one class, the bar tender, the 
owner of the saloon, the man who backs up 
the saloon business with his vote, the brew- 
ers, the State that grants license, and the 
preachers and churches that retain people 
in their membership that support the liquor 
traffic without denouncing them. I think 
one is just as guilty as the other." 

"Paul, the great writer said he was guilty 
of the blood of Stephen because he stood by 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


65 


and gave his consent to his death, so my 
friends, if we stand by and let the devil 
carry on the liquor business in this state we 
will be guilty of the blood of thousands that 
strong drink will carry to an untimely 
grave/' 

“The demons of the underworld are forg- 
ing the chains and snackles to carry our 
young men into hopeless servitude through 
the demon drink. And if we would free 
them and be free ourselves we must strike 
the blow. Oh, for brave men and women to 
help me in this great conflict. I wonder if 
I can count on this great congregation to 
help me?" And as the speaker paused for 
a moment a thousand voices shouted, “You 
can count on me, I will die by your side." 
Others shouted, “Down with the demon drink 
and all those who support it." 

And when the congregation had settled 
down. Dr. Norris called an old man to the 
platform, turning to his congregation again 
he said, “Gentlemen and ladies, I want to 
introduce to you. Captain Hollin, who will 


66 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


give testimony to what I have said/' As 
Dr. Norris took his seat and the tabernacle 
rang again with applause, Captain Holhn 
raised his trembling voice and began to 
speak. 

am now seventy-five years old. I have 
been living in this county all my life. 1 
have been a hard drinker for sixty years. I 
tried to quit liquor but I had no one to help 
me. I could not. I heard so much talk of 
Dr. Norris I thought I would come to hear 
him. I came, and I am here tonight to 
testify to the results of that visit." 

“As Dr. Norris spoke that night I saw 
myself, an old man, wnite headed as you see, 
with a quivering form, going down to a 
drunkard's grave, and dragging with me my 
children and grand children. The scene was 
so appalling and my burden became so great 
that I turned to one who could lift the bur- 
den and change my course. I heeded the 
message and a new light came into my soul, 
and now tonight I am looking across the 
river to my last resting place that is pre- 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER G7 

pared for all that will live a clean life in the 
present world.” 

At this point the old man’s voice failed 
and he sat down with the sympathy of all 
present. In fact, the whole congregation 
was moved to tears and the preacher arose 
and with a few additional remarks, dismissed 
the waiting multitude. 

“This was a glorious hour,” said Mrs. 
Cameron to Lucile as they walked from the 
tabernacle to their home. 

“Yes,” said Lucile, “I wish that all the 
young men of the city could hear this mes- 
sage. Oh, I would have given the world if 
Willie had been there conight and heard 
those statements of that old man. I think 
it would have helped him to be a better boy.” 


CHAPTER VII. 


WILLIE CAMERON’S FIRST WEEK IN A 
FOREIGN CITY. 

Willie Cameron, after about three weeks 
of hard travel, sometimes on foot, other 
times on freight trains, sometimes without 
food, other times very hungry, made his way 
to Nashville, Tennessee, and now was sitting 
in a labor bureau of street employment wait- 
ing for an opportunity ^-o ask for a job of 
work. There he sat, without a penny, pal- 
lored face with a heavy heart. His mind 
went back to his home and the thought of 
mother came to his heart with such teriffic 
force that he almost exclaimed aloud, “Oh, 
I would give this world to know whether 
or not she is living. Oh, how wretched I 
have been. Rum has caused it all.'' 

“It will rob you of your manhood, make 
you kill your best friend and will bring you 
down to the pits of destruction and at last 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 69 

cast your soul into the devil's hell. I would 
quit it if I had the manhood to do so, but 
now I am ruined, I guess I'll stay with it to 
drown my troubles." 

The clerk of the labor bureau cried out, 
“Bill Cameron is next." So he lifted himselt 
slowly and made his way to the desk. 

“Well, Bill," said the clerk, “I will give 
you a job on the streets. You can help dig 
gutters, etc., which is not a very desirable 
job to have but that is the best I can do for 
you at present." 

“Well, have you nothing better than thit 
for me," asked Willie. Willie had mobilized 
all his powers to argue the question with the 
clerk to see if he could not prevail upon him 
to give him a better position. 

The clerk turned and as his eyes caught 
Willie Cameron's haggard face said, “young 
man, you can either take that or leave it 
alone, it is all I have for you and there are 
other men waiting to get this job and will 
thank me very much for it." 

So, Bill Cameron began to study his con- 


70 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


dition. He had no money, no place to stay, 
had nothing to eat. He said to himself, “I 
must do something or else starve.” So he 
looked up to the clerk and said, ‘‘Well, Til 
do the best I can. I thank you very much 
for the job.” 

So Bill left the office and turned his face 
and his steps towards the work that was 
assigned him. But as he went he muttered 
to himself, “My case is so much like the 
Prodigal son, I am going out to feed swine, 
and it seems to me that the devil would have 
every one of us feeding swine if he could do 
so. Oh, if I had the courage of that young 
man I would return to my father’s house, 
but then I have no father to receive me, but 
mother would if she was living.” 

“Oh, I wish I knew — If I have no mother 
to forgive me and receive me, I wonder if 
sister would not do so. I do not think she 
would because I have committed such a great 
crime. It seems that I am left alone in the 
world to fight my own battles and bear my 
own burdens.” 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


71 


‘'Once I had a home and a loving mother 
and a sweet sister but the awful drink habit 
has robbed me of all that is dear to me and 
I have become its servant/' 

By this time Bill had reached the place 
where he would work. The foreman gave 
him a pick and shovel and started him to 
work at the task which was assigned him. 

It was a long day for Bill and when night 
came he was directed to a little hovel which 
he was to use for his room. It was a mere 
shack with a dirt floor, two small beds with 
an old goods box to hold them up, a few old 
tin cans scattered here and there over the 
ground left by the last occupants, and a little 
smutty lamp that sat on a goods box that 
was used as a table. 

As Willie Cameron closed the door be- 
hind him he muttered to himself, “This is 
so dreadful so horrible to one that has been 
accustomed to good beds all his life and the 
kind hand of mother to prepare everything 
necessary to make one happy, but I guess Jt 
is the best I can do." 


72 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


**1 wish old Bill Davis had to sleep one 
night in such a place as this. He would 
never sell any more liquor to anyone, and 
especially to young men. But I suppose 
those that feed swine must live in their 
dens.'^ 

Several weeks had passed and the end of 
each week Willie Cameron would draw hla 
pay and would drink it up by Sunday night 
to drown his sorrows. 

So one day as he was working close by 
the sidewalk a young man with pale and 
emaciated face, stood looking at him as he 
was whiling away the time by striking his 
pick on the edge of the curb, his attention 
was attracted by the young man standing 
near his side. The young man took a step 
forward, saying, as he approached Bill Cam- 
eron, ‘‘Say, Bill, is that really you?’' “Yes, 
that’s my name. Oh, I know you — you are 
Tommy Sharp.” By that time Bill had 
stepped up close to him and extended his 
hand. “I am so glad to see you, old fellow. 
I will be glad to have you come to my den 


MY BROTHER'S KEEPER 


73 


tonight as I want to talk to you. I have so 
many things to ask you about the people at 
home.'' 

“I will gladly do so, Bill," Tommy replied, 
‘^as I have not a cent of money and no where 
to stay." 

At eight o'clock there was a knock at 
Bill Cameron's door, which was answered 
on the inside with a demand as to who was 
it that desired to enter. The reply came, 
‘This is Tommy Sharp, your friend." 

“Oh, come in," Willie replied, as the door 
of the hut was pulled open and Tommy Sharp 
stepped in. Bill offered him his stool on 
which he was sitting and immediately took 
his seat by his side on the ground. “I am 
so glad to see you — so glad to see you" Bill 
he repeated. “So glad to welcome you to my 
den. It is a little rough but it is a little 
better than sleeping in box cars or on the 
floor." “Yes," said Tommy, “for I am as 
sore as if I had had a real beating from my 
ride from Fort Worth here in box cars and 
riding the rods, and sleeping sometimes 


74 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


across railroad ties. I know this is some- 
what a wretched place but I feel at home 
since I have found my old chum.” 

'Tell me quickly about my people,” Willie 
said. 

Now, Willie sat almost breathless to 
either hear news that would send his soul 
to torment or news that might lead him 
home some day. 

"Well,” Tommy began, "your mother and 
sister are well.” At that moment Willie 
jumped to his feet. "Oh, is it possiole that 
mother is alive. Oh, I am so happy. Tommy, 
to hear that good news. I feel now that I 
could live in this den all my life if it would 
atone for the deed that I committed that 
caused my poor mother so much pain.” 

"But, listen. Bill, they say she has an 
awful scar where she fell that night out 
looking for you. The physician had a very 
difficult task to pull your mother through, 
but by having a strong constitution and the 
inspiration of your sister, and the unseen 
hand that guides all things for the good of 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 76 

humanity, he was enabled at last to bring 
your mother as it seemed from death to 
lifer 

‘‘Now, Tommy, I must tell you the secret 
of my heart. I cannot carry it any longer 
in my heart, it is eating my soul out. These 
hands of mine struck the blow and made the 
ugly scar on my mother's brow." At this 
point Willie bagan to weep aloud and halted 
a few moments, but continued his conversa- 
tion. “Yes, mother came after me down 
town and she found me in old Bill Davis' sa- 
loon ; I was drunk, and when mother put her 
hand on my shoulder some of the wretches 
cried out ‘look out Bill, for that old hag.' I 
had a beer bottle in my hand and I wheeled 
around and struck mother before I saw her 
face. The shock sobered me up and to my 
borrow I found that I had almost murdered 
my mother." 

“And old Bill Davis fixed up that story 
you say you read in the papers to cover up 
the crime and to save his business. He said 
if I did not leave town at once he would kill 


76 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


me and throw us both in the river, so that is 
why I am here. Oh, I am so happy to have 
this glad intelligence from home.” 

“Now, Tommy, tell me about yourself. 
Why are you here?” 

“Well, you know we had many sprees to- 
gether before you left town, and I thought 
I could quit drinking any time I desired to 
but when Lucile found out I was drinking 
she made me promise to quit it. I made the 
promise but was like the little fly caught in 
the spider’s web, when I tried to get my feet 
out of old Bill Davis’ saloon web, I became 
more entangled in its meshes. The crisis 
came when she turned her back on me.” 

So, the only consolation I had was when 
I drowned my troubles in the wine glass. 
But this did not last very long because there 
is no constant rest for the mind that is 
being tortured by one committing suicide by 
drink. So on one Saturday night old Bill 
got me into his saloon and made me drunk. 
And at his suggestion, of course he did not 
force me to do it, I forged my father’s name 


MY BROTHER'S KEEPER 


n 


to a hundred dollar check and you might 
guess the rest.'' 

‘'But, Bill, it is true that the demon drink 
will rob you of all your will power, and your 
honesty, and make you a villain and an in- 
fernal liar. I am glad that we have a presi- 
dent who is for prohibition and some day the 
net of the saloon man will be destroyed and 
all of their victims will go free." 

"Say, Bill, do you think I can get a job 
with you? I know this is hard work, but 
I must do something to live." 

"Well, I will see in the morning what I 
can do for you, so you can have that nice 
feather bed over there," as he pointed to 
the hay on a few boards on which the bed 
was resting. 

"All right, Willie, beggars are not choos- 
ers." 

So next morning Tommy was given a job 
with Bill Cameron working on the street. 
And Tommy took hold of the work with zeal 
and zest as though he was getting five dollars 
a day and sitting up in a nice office in some 


78 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


good business. So they worked together 
and drank together, and continued their hab- 
itat in the hut which they afterwards named 
their ‘‘Hotel.” 

Every now and then Willie’s mind would 
go back to his old home and mother. “I 
wonder if mother would forgive me, but if 
she would I could not face that scar on her 
brow. It is so bad it makes me shudder 
even to think about it.” Sometimes he 
would cry out in his sleep, “Oh, mother, I 
did not go to do it, I did not know that was 
you. Oh, if you would only forgive me 1 
think I would be willing to do anything you 
demanded of me.” 

Bill and Tom, as they were called now, 
still continued to drink and at the end of 
each week when they would draw their pay 
on Saturday night, they would go out to 
paint the town red, as they expressed it. So 
one Saturday night, returning so intoxicated 
that they could scarcely find their way to 
their hut. Tommy said to Bill, “Have you 
got the key? If you have, come and open 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 79 

the door/' Bill came and fumbled all over 
the door and could not find the key hole, ana 
Bill said, “Tom, I can’t find the key hole, 
somebody must have stolen it.” At last 
they got through the door and immediately 
retired. Each thinking that he had gotten 
in his own bed but in fact they had both 
gotten in the same bed. In a moment Bill 
whispered to Tommy that someone was in 
bed with him. Tommy made the same re- 
ply to Bill that he thought someone was in 
bed with him. So Bill suggested that he 
kick him out. It resulted in one falling on 
one side of the bed and the other on the' 
other side, so when morning came Bill looked 
across under the bed and saw Tom on the 
other side and broke the silence with a 
hearty laugh, and said, “Is it possible that 
we have played the fool last night being rob- 
bed of our reason by the wine glass, that 
we kicked each other out of bed and had to 
sleep on the floor?” Bill said, “Tom, if we 
ever get out of this place of disgrace and 
shame I think I will be the first to tell the 
joke.” 


CHAPTER VIII. 

THE CAMERONS SHIFTING FOR THEMSELVES. 

A few months after Willie Cameron left 
home, Mrs. Cameron and Lucile settled down 
to earn their own living, in fact the money 
that Mr. Cameron had left them at his death 
was almost exhausted, as they had to make 
some necessary improvements on their home 
and it took more than they had figured on 
in the beginning of the repairs. 

'‘Well, mother,'' said Lucile, “I will go 
out tomorrow and see if I can get a position 
in some store or shop. We must do some- 
thing to keep up expenses, for if we keep up 
our good name we must be able to meet all 
of our obligations." 

“My child," said Mrs. Cameron, “I think 
it is impossible for you to grapple with these 
city problems, you are not used to hard work 
anyway, and I don't think you could stand 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


81 


to work the long hours that the business men 
are demanding of their working girls. And 
they say if you do not stand in with the 
foreman you will not be able to hold your 
position very long, and you know what that 
means. Daughter, you must hold your 
character inviolate, if we are compelled to 
go in our rags and live on bread and water. 
I know that all you have done in the past 
seems to be decorous but it pays to be al- 
ways on the alert.'' 

'Well, mother, I think you are right in 
this matter. I want to have a clean charac- 
ter and a clear conscience when I come to 
die. I know there is a saying prevalent in 
the city that a working girl is a plaything 
in the hands of her employer, but I think 
that depends largely on the status of the 
home from which the girl comes. You can 
see the incongruity of this argument if. you 
study the question closely as I have. Be- 
cause I have been thinking of taking this 
step for some weeks, that is I intend to get 
a position in some store or shop. It is a 


82 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


consensus of opinion of all good men that 
it is not a disgrace to labor and earn your 
living by the sweat of your brow and I am 
willing to try my hand at anything I can do 
in order to save our good name and supply 
the things we need for our home.” 

Mrs. Cameron uttered a groan as though 
she was fighting a great battle in her own 
soul, finally she turned to Lucile and said, **lt 
grieves me to see you go into servitude to 
some men who have no principles, for you 
know that is what it means to be a working 
girl. However, I will give my consent if 
you will promise me to get a good place to 
work, and when you become exhausted, 
cither resign your position or come home to 
rest.” 

‘‘The bargain is made,” said Lucile. “I 
will start out early in the morning to see if 
I can find a position.” 

Next morning Mrs. Cameron looked on 
with imperturbable interest while her daugh- 
ter was making preparations to enter the 
work-shops of the city. Thinking that her 


MY BROTHER'S KEEPER 


83 


daughter looked too beautiful and pure to 
go into servile labor. 

She was waiting the finality of the prep- 
aration to raise her voice in protest against 
her daughter going out, even after she had 
given her permission. But she thought we 
must have bread and Lucile is our only 
chance to earn a livelihood so I will be com- 
pelled to give my consent for a while any- 
way. 

So, Mrs. Cameron, reluctantly yielded and 
bade Lucile good bye and wished her much 
success in her first venture as a working 
girl. 

It was apparent that Lucile had the 
courage about her to make a good sales girl, 
for she had no patience with anything that 
was stolid, her beneficient way with which 
she went about anything would always draw 
people to her. She had proven herself ade- 
quate to all occasions ; she was winsome and 
lovable. The only drawback she had was a 
false report that was published about her 
robbing a drunken man. 


84 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


So, as Lucile walked down the street she 
said to herself, '‘I wonder if all the business 
men read the false reports that the papers 
published on me, and if they did I wonder 
if they have kept such a story in mind that 
when I present myself to them for work 
that they will connect my name with that 
report/' At this time a dark cloud began to 
hover above Lucile’s head, when she thought 
how this report might keep her from getting 
the desired position. ‘‘But I will brace up,” 
she said, “and face the world with a smile, 
the sun will shine for us some day.” 

Now, Lucile was just in front of a big 
dry goods store. She stopped a moment to 
look at the big sign board that was hanging 
over the street, and she read aloud, “Burton's 
Dry Goods Company.'' “So I will try here 
first and see what I can do. I have heard so 
much talk of this great store. It will be 
such an honor to have a position here to 
start my career as a saleswoman.'' 

And the moment she stepped in the door 
she met the floor walker, and before he 


MY ROTHER’S KEEPER 85 

could speak to her, she addressed him di- 
rectly. “I would like to see Mr. Burton,’' 
she said, with a trembling voice, indicating 
her embarrassment. 

‘Well, you will find him up stairs on the 
third floor in his office," the floor wa/ker re- 
plied, “but I would not advise you to go up 
unless you have urgent business, for he is 
very busy today." 

“Oh," said Lucile, “I must see him now. 
My business is very urgent, and I must see 
him in person." 

“Well," said the man standing just in 
front of her at this time, because the conver- 
sation continued between the two, the 
floorwalker drew closer to her seemingly 
to manifest some interest in her request. 

“Well, if you must see him I will take you 
up to the office at once." 

“Thank you, very much," said Lucile. 

In a few moments they were standing 
before Mr. Burton. 

“Mr. Burton, this is Miss Lucile Cam- 
eron," the clerk drolled out, “she wants to 


86 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


see you on very urgent business.” Mr. Bur- 
ton turned to Lucile and said, ‘‘Have a seat 
Miss Cameron, I will see you in a moment.” 

Now, Mr. Burton was pre-eminently a 
phrenologist, for he had made his fortune 
by being able to detect the make-up of a 
person's mind and character at a glance. 

“Well, Miss Cameron, I know your story 
before you begin to tell it — you would like 
to have a position in my store, I presume.” 

“Yes,” Lucile replied, “I would like very 
much to work for you. I will do everything 
that is legitimate and right to make your 
business prosper, and prove to you my wor- 
thiness for the position. I will be glad to 
have a chance anyway to show you what I 
can do.” 

“Your name is Lucile Cameron,” Mr. Bur- 
ton asked, “and you live on H Avenue?” 
“Yes,” Lucile retorted. “I think I have 
heard of you before,” replied Mr. Burton, “I 
believe they had your name connected with 
a robbery on Tenth and Main. There are 
so many antipodes in this city it is hard to 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 87 

tell when you do get a good workman/^ 

“Now, Miss Cameron, I will say for your 
benefit that I do not believe a word of it, but 
as I have a big business I cannot afford to 
hire a girl that the public holds as a thief. 
Now, as my time is precious I will be com- 
pelled to dismiss you for this time, but be- 
fore you go, I want to say something to you 
that will save you from further trouble and 
embarrassment. Your name was brought 
before the meeting of the business men's 
league of this city last night and we all de- 
cided that if you should apply for work that 
we could not afford to employ you for the 
above named reason, but as your father was 
a good honest, man, and for his sake we 
would give you and your mother an allowance 
each month, hoping after while you would 
be able to support yourself." 

Here Lucile became indignant and said, 
“Now, Mr. Burton, I want to say that not 
one cent of your money or anyone else's 
money will be accepted as a gift as long as 
these hands of mine can work. We are able 


88 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


to make our own living and will do it with- 
out any of your bunches help. I would 
count it a disgrace to receive a cent from 
anyone that was not earned by legitimate 
toil. So ril bid you good-bye.’' And Lu- 
cile immediately left the room. 

“Oh, how hard it is to be looked upon as 
a thief and an object of charity. I long for 
the time in which I can vindicate myself from 
this awful disgrace that is resting upon me, 
I think he had some ulterior motive in try- 
ing to give us money to help us, I think I 
will follow the suggestion I saw in the paper 
the other day. It said not to receive a gift 
from a male friend, because a gift will put 
you under obligations to him.” 

“Well, I will not give up,” said Lucile, “I 
have one more chance. My father had an 
old friend in business on Thirteenth street, 
I will go down and see him and see if he can 
do something for me.” 

Just as Lucile entered the store of “Uncle 
Jim Gordon” as he was called by all of his 
friends, he met her with an outstretched 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


89 


hand and greeted her with a smile on his 
face. “Why, good morning, Lucile, so glad 
to see you today. I was just thinking of 
phoning to you. My office girl has just re- 
signed and I need someone to look after 
my office.'' 

“It is so kind of you. Uncle Jim, to think 
of me, and I will gladly accept your position 
and do all I can to help promote your busi- 
ness." 

“Well," said Mr. Gordon, “the bargain is 
made. Pull off your hat and 'phone your 
mother that you will not be in until 
evening, because it is my custom whenever 
I hire a new clerk to take her out to dinner 
so we can discuss matters pertaining to the 
store and lay our plans for the progress of 
the work." 

When Lucile returned home that night 
her mother was delighted to know that her 
daughter had secured such a fine place to 
work for such a good man. “Why, I would 
like to work for Uncle Jim myself," said 
Mrs. Cameron. “I know that your father's 


90 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


old friend will show us a great deal of kind- 
ness for your father's sake." 

The newly hired clerk in Mr. Gordon’s 
store began to push the work as if it be- 
longed to her. She would plan every legiti- 
mate way to increase the business and to 
draw customers. She would stay up some 
nights until nearly midnight arranging the 
show windows in order to present a fresh 
view to the streets in the early morning. 

But it was soon discovered that Lucile 
had overworked herself. She became very 
pale and thin, and when she consulted the 
family physician she was told that she could' 
not stand the confinement any longer; that 
it was necessary for her to get out into the 
open air at once. 

So she went home that evening with a 
sad heart. She loved her work but she 
would be compelled to give it up for the 
present and would try to earn their bread 
by some other means. 

‘‘Mother, I have some sad news for you 
tonight. I have consulted our physician to- 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


91 


day and he said I would be compelled to re- 
sign my position and go to the open air im- 
mediately if I expected to preserve my health 
or at least save my life” 

*'Well/' said Mrs. Cameron, “I am not 
surprised at that Lucile. I have been notic- 
ing for several weeks that your health was 
waning every day, but I was afraid to say 
anything to you about it. So, I think you 
need a vacation and it will be best to take 
it at once.'' 

''Oh, yes, Lucile, I forgot to tell you, I got 
a letter from your uncle Thomas Cameron 
and he is asking us to spend the fall with 
him in Southwest Louisiana." 

"Oh, I'll be so glad to go mother," Lucile 
exclaimed. "He lives about six miles from 
Crowley, Louisiana, I believe you said, 
mother." "Yes," Mrs. Cameron replied. "I 
have heard so much about those beautiful 
fields of golden grain I long to see them." 

"Oh, I wish we could go tomorrow, 
mother. I believe it would be a great tonic 
for me." 


92 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

“I think/' Mrs. Cameron continued, ‘‘we 
can leave by next Tuesday on the 7 :30 train 
and get to Crowley the same day at 10 p. m. 
And we will stop over at the Elma House for 
the night. They say that place is noted for 
its good meals. They have fine hotels in the 
town, but a great many drummers and rail- 
road men stop here because they say they 
get their money's worth. We will send a 
card today to your uncle to meet us there 
Wednesday morning promptly at 7 :30 and 
we will have a delightful trip through the 
country to his beautiful home." 

In due time Lucile and Mrs. Cameron ar- 
rived at the Elma House, in Crowley, La., 
and spent the night there, and early in the 
morning Mr. Cameron, Lucile's uncle, called 
for them. 

After a short greeting, Mr. Cameron put 
them into his big auto and started for his 
home. 

The road passed through some beautiful 
wooded country and over some rippling 
streams. 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 93 

The forest had put on a beautiful golden 
hue, indicating that the first frost had fallen. 
A light west wind had set in blowing leaves 
here and there. The first cane thrusher was 
heard singing in the tree tops. The squirrels 
were jumping from branch to branch, seem- 
ingly just to show their activity. A crow 
was cawing from the tall pines calling his 
mate to him. A woodpecker was beating a 
tatoo on an old oak nearby, fixing a place to 
store away his winter food. Acorns and 
nuts were falling at short intervals, remind- 
ing the harvesters of the woods that the 
harvest was at hand. 

A gang of Hiawatha's chickens were fly- 
ing from tree to tree filling the woods with 
their chatter and songs. 

''Oh, how beautiful, mother," Lucile cried, 
"see the beautiful woods. Hear the birds 
singing. It is so sublime to be so close to 
nature and the Creator. The air is so 
wholesome out here in the country that it 
makes one feel like they could stay here al- 
ways. One does not have to be versed in 


94 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


classic lore to understand the beauties of 
nature. Mother, don't you think the count- 
try people are very happy out here?" 

‘Well, I don't know, Lucile, a bira in the 
tree does not enjoy his freedom like the poor 
bird in the cage. Let the caged bird out and 
he will see many beautiful things that the 
others cannot see. So it is with these country 
people, they do not enjoy freedom like we do, 
or see the beauties of the country as we see 
them, because they have never had the ex- 
perience of the cage, although I think any 
fastidious person would be pleased with this 
beautiful scenery." 

By this time they had passed through the 
woodland and come to the open rice fields. 

The rice was just ready for the sickle 
and there lay before their eyes hundreds of 
acres of the beautiful grain. 

“Oh, how exquisite," Lucile exclaimed. 
“We have heard so much about the fields of 
golden grain, but this is our first opportunity 
to see them. They say that this crop is of 
intrinsic value. How glorious the harvest 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


95 


time is out here in the country. Mother, I 
feel now that I will get well. This country 
is such an inspiration to heart sore and down- 
cast people from The city. No one could be- 
hold these beautiful scenes and not want to 
live to be a better man or woman, or have a 
desire to be more useful to mankind.'' 

Reapers and binders were running here 
and there. Little mountains of straw were 
rising at nearly every farm house indicating 
that the rice was being prepared for the 
market. The songs of the reapers were 
heard from farm to farm, all seemed to be 
happy over their task. 

The mowing machines were cutting down 
the beautiful alfalfa hay. The air was satu- 
rated with the sweet odors of the new cut hay 
that was being carried to the barns for win- 
ter use. 

"Well," said Lucile, to her uncle, ‘T 
thought we would be lonesome out here in the 
country, but, my, everything is in a buzz, 
and when I am rested, uncle, I want to see 
all of those machines at close range. I think 


96 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


it will be such fun for me to help drive those 
large horses that are pulling those big ma- 
chines/' 

‘'You will have the opportunity, Lucile,” 
said her uncle, “you will have a horse at your 
command and you can go and come when 
you please." 

Now they arrived at Mr. Cameron's home, 
which was a large farm house, neatly built, 
with some large live oaks standing all around 
it, acting as it were, sentinels to protect it 
from the storms. 

As Mrs. Cameron was a graduate in Do- 
mestic Science everything was arranged very 
neatly. 

So Mrs. Cameron and Lucile continued 
their visit for two or three months, Lucile 
enjoying her horseback rides daily and they 
brought health and vigor to her slender form 
again, and she was happy all the time, only 
when her mind would go back to their troub- 
les at home. But now the visit was over 
and Lucile and Mrs. Cameron returned back 
to the city to take up their work with new 
vigor and new hope for the future. 


CHAPTER IX. 

SCENES AT THE CAMERON HOME. 

It was a beautiful summer evening, the 
sun was sinking in the golden west ; the last 
shadows were playing hide and seek upon 
the porch where Lucile and Mrs. Cameron 
were sitting. They seemed very lonely be- 
cause no one had visited them since Willie 
had fallen and the sad story that Lucile 
Cameron had been found robbing a drunken 
man on the streets of Fort Worth. 

A tall, slender white haired man came 
walking slowly up to the porch where Mrs. 
Cameron and Lucile were sitting. 

“Well, Judge Sharp,'' exclaimed Lucile, 
“we are so glad to have you come to sit a 
while with us on this beautiful evening." 
By this time Lucile had taken his cane and 
hat and handed him a chair. 

As Judge Sharp took his seat, he began 


98 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


to speak with his conversation directed to 
Mrs. Cameron. ‘‘I owe you an apology for 
not coming sooner to see you, but my trouble 
has been so great that I did not have time 
to call on any friends.” 

'‘But since Tommy went away my heart 
has been very heavy. You know I am not 
lackadaisical in my speeches, but today my 
heart is very tender when I think of our two 
boys away from home — we know not where.” 

“Like burdens will drive people together 
and if I can be more sedate I want to pour 
out my heart to you in sympathy for I know 
by experience what you are suffering now.” 

“Am I my brother's keeper comes to me 
with greater force than ever. Oh, it seems 
if I had helped you and your boy in the very 
incipiency of your trouble perhaps I would 
have saved my own boy. Oh, if I could have 
understood your message that morning, Lu- 
cile, I think things would have been different 
with me and my home.” 

“Oh, my boy, my boy,” Judge Sharp 
groaned as he buried his face in his hands. 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


99 


“I would give almost anything to know 
where you are tonight. If I had the vampire 
that is sucking your life blood out 1 would de- 
stroy it if I had to burn my house down to 
do it. If I was granted a reprieve I think 
I would live a better life before you.'' 

“Now, Lucile," said Judge Sharp, “I owe 
you an apology for the statement I made to 
you a few days ago in my office, that if you 
let liquor alone it would let you alone. It is 
the biggest lie that the devil can put on any- 
one's lip. In a great measure I let liquor 
alone, but it came into my home and tore 
from my heart and bosom my dear boy." 

“Oh, it is so hard," interrupted Mrs. 
Cameron, “to be robbed of our boys in that 
way. Now, it seems to me, with such ex- 
perience as you have now Judge Sharp, that 
you would be willing to lead a campaign to 
eliminate the liquor traffic from this State 
of ours." 

“Say, Judge Sharp," Lucile broke into the 
conversation, “did you see in the paper today 
where Mr. Bryan, the great commoner, had 


100 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


declared himself for the suffragettes. Isn’t 
that great. I think it will not be long be- 
fore all good men will be in favor of woman’s 
suffrage. I do not think that any man 
should want privileges that are not granted 
to his wife and daughters.” 

At this time the newsboy handed Mrs. 
Cameron the evening paper. And her eyes 
fell on the big headlines on the first page. 
‘Two young men ran over and killed by the 
fast train out of Nashville. — No clue to their 
identity except one had a Fort Worth paper 
in his pocket and the other had a card ad- 
dressed to Bill and signed Tom.” 

Mrs. Cameron fell back in her chair ex- 
claiming, “Oh, my poor boy, he is killed.” 

Judge Sharp snatched the paper from her 
hand with a trembling voice he began to 
read, but before he had read many lines his 
voice faltered and his eyes filled with tears. 
“Oh, is it possible,” he exclaimed, “that these 
are our boys who were killed ?” By this time 
all were sobbing aloud. 

When Effie Sharp had heard the commo- 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


101 


tion at the Cameron home she flung open the 
gate and ran crying, “What is it, father — 
what is it?'' Judge Sharp handed her the 
paper and she began to read, but in a few 
moments she threw it aside and threw her 
arms around Lucile's neck and began to 
weep. 

“Oh, what shall we do — the boys we love 
are gone. Life is ended for us. Oh, why did 
we not keep Willie and Tommy at home; it 
seems to me that we are just as guilty as 
Cain who slew his brother, and if we were 
asked tonight, 'Where is thy brother?' we 
would be compelled to answer, 'Am I my 
brother's keeper ?' The very time they need- 
ed a helping hand we turned our backs on 
them." 

“Yes," said Lucile, “I thought I and Tom- 
my and you and Willie would some day be 
settled down in a cosy cottage, as we used 
to plan." 

“Oh, how dreary this world is now," said 
Lucile, as tears began to stream down her 
cheeks, indicating deep sorrow of the heart. 


102 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


‘‘Come, now children,'' said Judge Sharp, 
“we will be compelled to brace up for the or- 
deal which we are called on to endure." 

Judge Sharp had forgotten about the 
disgrace he thought had come upon the Cam- 
eron home and their troubles seemed to have 
made them as one family. 

“We will have their bodies shipped home 
for a decent burial.” 

So it was announced in the morning pa- 
pers that the funeral of Willie Cameron and 
Tommy Sharp would take place on the ar- 
rival of the evening train. This was made 
possible by the rapidity with which Judge 
Sharp had made preparations at Nashville 
for the preparation and shipment of the 
bodies of the two boys who they thought 
were Thomas Sharp and Willie Cameron. 

At 4:30, on the arrival of the train, a 
large crowd of townsmen had gathered 
around the depot to receive the bodies, as 
they thought, of their old time friends, and 
follow them to their last resting place. 

Their bodies were so mangled that no 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


103 


one was permitted to see them, so they quiet- 
ly went to the cemetery, and after a short 
funeral service, they were consigned to their 
last resting place. 

The chief mourners among the multitude 
were Effie Sharp and Lucile Cameron, they 
would not be comforted. They returned to 
their homes, as they thought, to grieve their 
lives away. 

Gloom rested not only on those two homes 
but upon the whole town because all the good 
citizens of the town thought that the demon 
drink had been the cause of the downfall of 
these two young men, and ultimately of their 
death. 

After the funeral oi Thomas Sharp and 
Willie Cameron, Effie Sharp and Lucile Cam- 
eron had formed a new companionship and 
could be seen each morning going hand in 
hand towards the cemetery with fresh 
flowers to place on the graves, as they 
thought of their former lovers. They gath- 
ered from the best gardens possible, the 
sweetest flowers and most attractive and 
planted flowers on the mounds and cared for 
them with their oWn hands. This they 
agreed to do as long as they would live. 


CHAPTER X. 


THE CONVERSION OF WILLIE CAMERON AND 
TOMMY SHARP. 

''Look here, Bill” said Thomas Sharp, as 
Bill Cameron walked into the hut that even- 
ing after the thought to be Cameron and 
Sharp funeral, "they had our funeral yester- 
day at home — see what the papers say about 
it.” 

Thomas Sharp handed Willie the paper 
and he slowly read every word. 

"Well,” said Bill, "that beats anything I 
have ever heard — burying two fellows in 
Fort Worth when they are here in Nashville 
very much alive.” 

"I think,” said Tommy, "this is very true 
in a sense — that we have been buried so far 
as our lives are concerned to the best in- 
terests of our home and country — ^buried 
from all that is good and holy, and tonight 
we walk in the sepulchres where there isn’t 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


105 


anything but the stench of corruption and 
sin/^ 

‘‘Oh, I wonder if there is any hope for 
outcasts like us.” 

‘‘It is so sad, Willie, to make our loved 
ones at home suffer like this. I think 1 
could go home if it was not for meeting 
mother with that awful scar on her brow; 
it haunts me day by day, and sometimes 1 
think I will end this miserable existence of 
mine with my own hands and get rid of 
these burdens. Oh, how true the Holy Book 
puts it, ‘The way of the transgressor is 
hard.^ ” 

“Say Tommy,” said Bill, “they are having 
a revival in the city. I passed along the 
street last night and stopped for a few min- 
utes, and heard the preacher call for per- 
sonal workers, and several young men and 
young women stood up and promised their 
hearty support, even to go out in the streets 
after the loss, and there was one who stood 
there that looked so much like your sister 
Effie that I thought of home and our loved 


106 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

ones. I said to myself if that young lady 
would come to the hut and invite us to the 
meeting I would go if I had to crawl on 
my hands and knees.'' 

"‘Oh," said Tommy, '‘you need not bother 
yourself about that, she will not come here 
to look for outcasts like we are." 

At that instance someone knocked at the 
door. Willie thinking it was one of their 
chums, he stepped to the door to let him in, 
but to his surprise there stood the young 
lady he saw at the meeting the night before. 
She extended her hand with a smile on ner 
face, in such a familiar way, said, "My name 
is Mabel Wise. I came down to invite you 
to our meeting. We would be glad to have 
you. We have such a fine speaker. I know 
you would like to hear him and enjoy his 
messages." 

"Yes, yes, ma’am," stammered Willie 
Cameron. "We wilF go. Miss Wise." 

And as she turned to go, she heard Tom- 
my Sharp say, "Well, Bill, I did not think 
you could be caught so easily that way. I 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 107 

think she has a sinister motive for coming 
here. Do you suppose she cares for out- 
casts like us?” 

‘"Well,” Bill replied, "‘there was something 
in her face that denoted the sincerity of the 
remark, and reflected a pure character. I 
think she was in dead earnest about the mat- 
ter and I will do my best to carry out my 
promise.” 

Mabel Wise's heart was very heavy just 
now, as she turned her steps back to the 
main part of the city, for she nad overheard 
part of the conversation that took place be- 
tween Willie Cameron and Tom Sharp. She 
said, “I wish I had not promised to do this, 
personal work in this meeting. I have failed 
with my first attempt, but somehow I am 
glad that I went to the hut and gave those 
young men an invitation to the services. 
They are some mother's boys and they need 
a helping hand. I am my brother's keeper., 
It is just as true today as it was when it was 
written.” 

The next evening at eight o'clock. Bill 


108 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


Cameron and Tom Sharp slowly made their 
way to the meeting house. When they came 
to the door they found throngs of people 
crowding in, seeming eager to get a place to 
hear the great speaker of the evening. 

‘Are you going in, Tom,” said Bill, “how 
do you know that they want you in there?” 

“Well,” said Tom, “we have the invita- 
tion Miss Wise extended to us.” So Tom 
pulled out a card from his pocket at that 
moment that read thus, “You are cordially 
invited to attend our meeting at Eighth and 
Main, seats free to all.” 

So Thomas Sharp seemingly became more 
anxious than Willie Cameron to go into the 
services, and insisted on Bill Cameron going 
with him, so they went in and sat down, just 
as Billy, the Evangelist, as he was so called, 
began to speak from the passage, “I will 
arise and go to my father.” He told the 
story of the Prodigal son and every pungent 
word went like an arrow to the boys' hearts, 
conversion to their souls, and before the ser- 
vice was over they were both sobbing in 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


109 


their seats. And when the first opportunity 
was given both confessed their sins. 

When these two young men started up to 
the front, Miss Wise recognized them and 
her heart leaped for joy, as Bill Cameron 
turned to her and said, ''Miss Wise, I am 
so glad that you came to our hut and invited 
us to attend this glorious service,'' he con- 
tinued, "I have a sister at home pure and 
beautiful like you, and a gray haired mother 
whose heart will overfiow with joy when she 
hears of the kindness you have shown us." 

When Bill Cameron took his seat, that 
great congregation was in tears. Strong 
men and women were crowding down the 
aisle weeping and shaking hands with the 
two young men. 

The services being dismissed, Thomas 
Sharp and Bill Cameron turned their faces 
towards their resting place. 

The moon had risen in all its splendor 
and glory and was flooding the earth with 
its silvery light. The elements were powdered 
with the beautiful stars. "How beautiful 


110 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

the night,” said Tommy, ‘T wonder if the 
moon is shining like this on our old home? 
I fancy that I see Lucile and Effie sitting in 
the moonlight, gazing upon the same object 
that we now behold, and no doubt wondering 
about their long lost lovers.” 

'T am so happy tonight,” Willie Cameron 
said. ‘T feel just like when I used to sit at 
mother’s knee and hear the old story of the 
Cross. The Holy Writ has stated a great 
truth ‘train up a child the way you would 
have him go, when he becomes old he will 
not depart therefrom.” Now some have tried 
to argue that this is not true but it does 
not say the young will always remain as 
taught by their mother, but it does say when 
he becomes old he will return, or in other 
words more mature in years, he will return.” 

Thomas Sharp had the same expression 
of delight and satisfaction on his face, and 
addressing his companion, “You know. Bill, 
ever since Tennessee went dry and they 
closed the saloons here, and when we could 
not get our Saturday night whiskey, as we 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 111 

thought to drown our cares, I have had a 
few sober weeks, and in that time I have had 
time to think about my condition and the 
inevitable that every drunkard is dealing 
with, namely, a disgraceful death, and I 
have quite decided that I would put forth a 
new effort to live a better life, even before 
this night’s service.” 

am so glad they voted whiskey out 
of this great State.” ‘‘Yes,” answered Bill 
Cameron, “I think the only way to save our 
young men and old men who are addicted to 
the drink habit is to vote the liquor traffic 
out of the United States. Strong drink is 
a great menace to the country and I think 
we can get enough good men who love their 
country and their homes, who will cast their 
ballot that will eliminate this awful curse 
from our country.” 

“No one can see the appalling enormity 
unless they go through, as it were, the 
pits of hell for several months, like we have 
experienced, or unless his life and character 
is formed by a noble standard, drawn from 


112 


MV BROTHER’S KEEPER 


the Holy Writ, directed by the loving hand 
of father and mother, and taught to look 
upon sin as it exists in the world/' 

Willie Cameron and Tommy Sharp had 
reached the hut which they had made their 
home for several months, and when they had 
seated themselves on the goods boxes, around 
the flickering light, Willie exclaimed, ‘'Oh, I 
am so happy tonight, even this old hut seems 
a better place to me, since I have a new pur- 
pose in life." 

“Now," said Tommy, shall we write 
home tomorrow and break the glad intelli- 
gence to our loved ones that we are alive and 
that we have quit drink and expect to be 
home soon?" “No, no," Willie Cameron re- 
torted, “let's not do that — I know a word 
from us would bring unspeakable joy to 
them, but 1 want to tell with my own lips my 
sad story to mother and kiss that awful scar 
and ask her forgiveness. We will try tomor- 
row to get a better place to work, and I think 
if we can clean up our person and show our- 
selves to be men, we will be able to get a 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


113 


better job and make more money, and we will 
continue our habitat here until we can do 
better/' “Agreed," said Tommy, “we will 
make good here in business before we return 
to our homes and loved ones." 

Willie and Tommy were awakened early 
next morning by a knock on the door, who 
proved to Be after being admitted into their 
hovel, Mr. Ben Thompson, the wholesale 
groceryman. “Good morning, boys," said 
Mr. Thompson. “So glad to meet you," re- 
plied Willie Cameron. “I met you at the 
meeting last night," Mr. Thompson con- 
tinued, “and as I saw an opportunity to help 
two struggling young men, and as I needed 
two clerks in my store, I thought I would 
drop in this morning and see if we could not; 
make a bargain." 

“Well," replied Willie Cameron, “the bar- 
gain is already made if you can use us." 

“Very well," said Mr. Thompson, “you 
can report at Sixth and Main at eight o'clock 
this morning for work." 

“All right," said Tommy, and Mr. Thomp- 
son left the room. 


114 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


''Say, old fellow,^’ said Willie, "it looks 
like things are coming our way now. We 
will clean up and save our money and it will 
be so great to go home about Christmas with 
new clothes and a good purse, and see 
those sweet faces again. It seems too good 
to be true. I am almost compelled to pinch 
myself sometime to see if it is really I.” 

So Willie Cameron and Tommy Sharp 
went to work for Mr. Thompson at sixty-five 
dollars a month, with the promise if they 
made good he would raise their wages until 
he would give them a hundred dollars each. 

They would work hard in the day time 
and study their customers at night so that 
they might become proficient salesmen. In 
this way they had almost doubled Mr. Thom- 
pson’s business in one month, so the second 
month he raised them to the amount he had 
promised, one hundred dollars each. With 
the additional promise if his business con- 
tinued to grow under their management, be- 
cause he had turned his business wholly over 
to these young men, he would give them a 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


115 


fine suit of clothes apiece for Christmas, 
and in addition to that a round trip ticket 
home, for they had explained to Mr. Thomp- 
son their plans and what they expected to 
do. 

The two young men in Mr. Thompson's 
store became the leading young men, not 
only in the store but in the town. Many a 
young lady of the town would come into the 
store with some pretense to buy something 
but would take time for a few minutes talk 
with the handsome clerks, as they were 
known all over town as the most genteel and 
affable young men that engaged in the social 
functions of the city. 

They did not know that in those boys' 
hearts there was an aching void that could 
not be filled, except by two beautiful young 
ladies who they had left at home with broken 
hearts. 

Mr. Thompson thought so much of Willie 
Cameron and Tommy Sharp that he took 
them to his own home, which was the most 
attractive home in the city of Nashville, and 


116 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


he treated them like nis own sons, rather 
than his clerks. This adaed to their popular- 
ity and it seemed that they could have had 
the choice of the town for their companions, 
especially among the young ladies. 

It was now Christmas week, and Willie 
Cameron and Tommy Sharp, were packing 
their trunks for home. Everything was 
ready, and the two young men were sitting 
together talking over the past and planning 
for the future. ‘T hope it will be all right at 
home when we get there. Oh it will be a 
joyous time with mother and sister and 

'' here a blush stole over his face, 

‘'and it will be sweet to see her again.'' “Just 
think. Tommy," said Willie, “we will be at 
the old home again by this time tomorrow." 


CHAPTER XL 

THE RETURN OF THE PRODIGALS. 

It was Christmas Eve morning, and Mrs. 
Cameron was busy in her kitchen preparing 
for an elaborate Christmas dinner. Lucile 
had finished her morning work and was sit- 
ting in the parlor looking at some photo- 
graphs.'' 

‘‘How handsome Tommy looked that eve- 
ning when he had this picture struck. Oh, 
if he were here today this would be such a 
happy Christmas. It is so sad to live with- 
out him and brother in this world. Life is 
not worth living anyway. I will be glad 
when the end comes." Lucile was convulsed 
in tears. “I am glad," she said, “that in 
the world to come there will be no saloons 
to rob one of loved ones, no tears, no sad- 
ness, but all will be light and joy, and peace, 
when we enter into that felicity that is pre- 
pared for all the pure in heart." 


118 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


'‘Our homes here may be a place of pov- 
erty and sadness, but the home of the re- 
deemed will be a place of intrinsic beauty 
and exquisite joy, where the laborer shall 
rest from all his toil and all shall be at 
rest” 

The parlor door stood half ajar; Lucile 
heard her mother humming an old familiar 
tune in which she was pouring out her soul. 
"Why, mother must be happy this morning ; 
her thoughts must be beyond this world. 
It is the first song I have heard her sing 
since Willie has gone away."’ 

Lucile arose and walked slowly to her 
mother’s side and kindly put her hand upon 
her shoulders. Her mother still continued 
Iier song. "Mother, you must be happy this 
morning. I am so glad to see you thus on 
Christmas Eve morning.” 

"Well, somehow, I do feel very happy. 
I was just thinking that Willie and Tommy 
might be alive and come home to us yet.” 

"Oh, impossible, mother, we saw them 
buried with our own eyes, and are keeping 


MY BROTHER'S KEEPER 


119 


beautiful flowers growing on their graves. 
How can they come back to us? Mother it 
is impossible. Oh, how I wish that I could 
feel like David felt when his little boy died. 
He said 1 know I cannot bring him back but 
I can go to him.' " 

“Oh, it is so sad to die without a ray of 
hope and have no one to stand for you in 
the great judgment." 

“But, listen, Lucile, you know we never 
saw the faces of our boys in the caskets and 
there might be a mistake about the whole 
thing, and somehow I feel like this Christ- 
mas day will be the happiest Christmas we 
will ever spend together on this earth." 

“Oh, mother, it is to good to be true. 
Our poor hearts could not stand such joy." 

“Be quiet, don't cry child," her mother 
continued. “Have implicit trust in provi- 
dence and our darkness shall be turned into 
day." 

“I had a dream last night. I saw Willie 
and Tommy coming home in their rags, all 
bent over it seemed with age, and their 


120 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


clothes covered with the muck and slime of 
the streets, and yet we joyously received 
them in our homes. And it has been my 
life time experience when I have such a 
dream; they are generally true, that is, I 
see the person or persons I dreamed about, 
but they appear just vice versa to what I 
saw in my dream.” 

“So, then, mother, if your dream is true 
they will return home in the very bloom and 
specimen of manhood, neatly dressed, and 
very handsome. Oh, how could that be? 
It would make this earth almost heaven to 
us ; it would be the dead brought to life again. 
It would change all the atmosphere of our 
homes and renovate things until this old 
world would appear a new world to us.” 

“I see you are preparing so many nice 
things for Christmas dinner, I trust your 
vision will come true, and I will take new 
courage, hoping that our dream boys will 
come tonight or tomorrow. I will help you 
all I can today, not because of my faith but 
because of yours ; because you seem to have 
works as well as faith.” 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


121 


The day passed very quietly, the night 
came, though it was a very dark night, yet 
the town was lighted with the beautiful fire 
works of all kinds. Old friends were meet- 
ing again. Sons and daughters were return- 
ing home to spend Christmas with their pa- 
rents. The small children were dreaming 
of old Santa Claus; strains of music was 
heard from almost every home; everyone in 
town seemed to be happy with the excep- 
tion of two homes. 

Lucile and her mother spent a sleepless 
night, listening every moment for the foot 
fall of one that was so dear to their hearts. 
Morning came, everything was silent. Mrs. 
Cameron had such strong faith in her dream 
that she tiptoed to Willie's room to see if he 
had not slipped in that night. The bed was 
untouched and everything intact as she had 
arranged the previous night, so she gave a 
sigh, and with a pale face she turned and 
entered the kitchen and started preparations 
for the morning repast. 

Just as she started to strike a match to 


122 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


start the fire, someone tapped at the kitchen 
door, and just as Mrs. Cameron turned to 
answer the call, Willie Cameron jerked the 
door open and threw himself at his mother's 
feet, and began to ask forgiveness. '‘Oh, 
mother, forgive me, forgive me," Willie cried 
"I have been such a wretch. Oh, forgive 
me, say it mother, say it quick." 

The mother had thrown her arms around 
Willie's neck and was sitting flat on the floor, 
bathing his face with her tears. "Oh, son, 
my only boy, my dear boy," she cried as she 
was still holding Willie close to her heart 
"I forgave you before you left home, and 
now I forgive you a thousand times over." 

"But, oh, mother, that awful scar," 
"Hush, son," the mother exclaimed, "that is 
only a mark of atonement for your 
sins. I am so glad to receive you home 
again safe and sound. The Prodigal has re- 
turned and now we will kill the fatted calf." 

"Yes, mother," Willie continued, "that 
scar on your brow haunted me ever since I 
left home, and Oh, if you will forgive me, 
how happy I will be now." 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


123 


'‘I repeat it again Willie, I have lorgiven 
you a hundred times/' Mrs. Cameron had 
taken Willie^s head in her lap and was 
petting and caressing him as a mother would 
a little babe. 

Lucile heard the cries and sobs of her 
mother and she ran to the kitchen, and when 
she saw her mother and Willie weeping in 
each others arms she flung herself upon 
them, and with sobs and tears she almost 
covered Willie's face with kisses, as she 
cried, ''Oh, my brother, my only, dear brother 
you did come back to us. You are our Santa 
Claus." 

"Oh, sister, will you forgive me for all 
that I have done? I will still remain in 
the dust of humility until you speak the 
words of forgiveness." 

"Yes, oh, yes, I forgave you many times, 
and often longed to see your face to tell you 
about it." 

"Jump up. Bill," for that was his name 
when he was a boy, "I want to see how 
handsome you are." So all three stood up. 


124 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


and as they walked to the parlor, Lucile on 
one side, Mrs. Cameron on the other, it was 
a beautiful picture to behold. 

‘‘How handsome you are Willie, I know 
somebody who doesn't live a thousand miles 
from here who will be glad to see you." 

‘"Yes," said Willie, ‘‘and there is someone 
not a thousand miles from here who will 
give all this world to see you." 

“Oh, Willie, did Tommy come back too?" 

“Oh, yes, to be sure, he did. And he is 
so handsome that nearly all the girls in 
Nashville, poor and rich, set their caps to 
catch him." 

“Really, what did he say to those young 
ladies?" “Why he just said there was some- 
one waiting for him at home." 

“Now, sit down and tell us all about your- 
self and Tommy and the mystery," added 
Lucile. 

“Well, its just this way. After 1 left 
home because the demon drink had made 
me unfit to stay here any longer, I went 
to Nashville and began to work on the streets 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


125 


and in a few weeks Tommy joined me in my 
work, and we lived in a little hut together, 
and one evening two tramps came to our hut 
and we kept them through the night for it 
was very cold and they had no place to stay, 
and when they left next morning, one poor 
fellow had no coat, so 1 just gave him mine, 
the one I wore when I left home; I left the 
the Fort Worth paper and a card from Tom- 
my in the pockets, and I understand that 
those poor fellows were killed a few hours 
later, so that explains the mystery. ' 

‘'Oh, my, I am so glad it was a mistake,'' 
said Lucile. “We have been caring for the 
grave of tramps. It sounds rediculous." 

“Well," said Willie, “I'm glad you gave 
them a decent burial, because they had no 
one to care for them, and we will continue to 
care for those graves and keep beautiful 
flowers growing upon them in memory of 
those who had no one to remember them." 

“But tell us about your conversion." “It 
was like this : Tommy and I would work on 
the street all the week, draw our money on 


126 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


Saturday evenings, and pay our grocery bill, 
which was very small, and spent the rest of 
our wages for whiskey to drown our cares. 

‘‘And would it really do that T* said Mrs. 
Cameron. “Is it possible that it would take 
something that would bring torture to your 
soul, and try to extinguish one flame with 
another T' 

“No,” Willie replied. “It was only mo- 
mentarily, because when we would sober up 
we would find ourselves weaker to stand the 
temptations and bear our burdens. You can- 
not eliminate one trouble with another, that 
is a propaganda of the devil. Drink cannot 
drown cares, only brings on more cares and 
sorrows.” 

“So, we spent our days in that manner. 
We swore off several times to quit liquor, 
but how could we? We had created an 
appetite for it and it was put in our sight 
and when we would write our good resolu- 
tions and sign them, the first scent of liquor 
would so overwhelm us that we would for- 
get ourselves and plunge into sin again.” 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


127 


*'But at last the good people of Tennes- 
see mobilized their forces and centered their 
attack on the saloon business and put it 
out of the state.’" 

‘"So, when the city became dry, that is 
from a liquor standpoint, and we could not 
get our liquor for our Saturday night sprees, 
and by having a few sober weeks to think 
over our condition, our thoughts would turn 
to things more noble and upright.” 

'‘About that time they were having a 
great revival in the city and we received an 
invitation from a Christian young lady, and 
while in service pungent conviction came to 
our souls, we yielded to the call of the most 
High and you see the results.” 

We started out that night to live a new 
life and try in some way to make reparation 
for the wrong we have done and the lives we 
have lived. 

Next morning we were given a good place 
in a wholesale grocery store and in a few 
weeks we had worked ourselves up to the 
first places in the store, and now we are get- 


128 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


ting one hundred dollars a month, and the 
privilege to live with Mr. Thompson in the 
most attractive home in that beautiful city.” 

‘‘Mother,” Willie continued, “I have come 
home to make you and sister happy the rest 
of your days.” 

“And, I think someone else will be hap- 
py,” said Lucile, as she pointed her finger at 
the home across the way. 

About the same thing went on in Judge 
Sharp's home. Tommy Sharp entered in 
the back way, flinging himself into his fa- 
ther's arms and asked forgiveness, and his 
father graciously received him as one coming 
from the dead. It was a great hour in Judge 
Sharp's home when Tommy Sharp told about 
his conversion and his good resolutions and 
what he intended to do to repay his loved 
ones for the grief he had brought upon them. 

And with great pride he told his father 
about the false report that had been pub- 
lished and circulated about Lucile Cameron 
attempting to rob a drunken man, that it 
was her brother she was helping out of the 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


129 


ditch and she was only feeling in his pockets 
to see if he had anything he could lose; he 
also told him how Lucile spent the night in 
the lock-up with her brother, and how 
loyal she had been to him although it brought 
disgrace upon her. 

“Well,'' said Judge Sharp, “Lucile has 
risen a hundred per cent in my estimation. 
A girl who would stay with her brother like 
that with such chriscian fortitude and such 
sacrificial spirit will be a great light in the 
world as long as she lives." 

“And, how is Willie?" said Effie. “I 
think that Willie is a very fine young man," 
Tommy replied, “I think he could almost 
have had his choice of any young lady in 
the city, but would always reply when the 
question was put to him by the fair sex, that 
he had left his heart at home." 

After the family greetings were over, 
Willie and Lucile Camron were walking arm 
in arm up and down the porch. Thomas 
Sharp was peeping through the window try- 
ing to get a glimpse of the one that was 
all the world to him. 


130 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


At that moment Willie and Lucile step- 
ped in full view of the Sharp home. And as 
Tommy Sharp gave a sly glance at Lucile 
he said “How beautiful she is today — she is 
a perfect angel. I just cannot stand it — I 
must see her at once.” He went to the 
dresser and fixed his tie and dressed his 
hair, all the time wondering how she would 
receive him. 

At that juncture Effie Sharp walked into 
the room and exclaimed, “Oh, you bad boy, 
where are you going?” 

“Well, I thought I would just step over 
and see Bill for a moment. Would you like 
to go with me?” “Oh, with joy,” she said. 
And hand in hand they walked out of the 
house and up the walk to the Cameron home. 
As they reached the steps Lucile ran to 
meet them. 

“Tommy Sharp extended his hand say- 
ing, “Oh, how sweet for us to meet again, 
Lucile.” Her hand was so warm and tender 
somewhat expressing the feeling of her heart 
he drew her closer to him and without a 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


131 


word kissed her tenderly. “Oh, forgive me, 
Lucile, I could not help it.'' 

“I did not want you to," Lucile replied, 
as she still held his hand in her warm grasp. 

“Oh, I beg your pardon. Bill, old fellow," 
Tommy Sharp turned to Willie Cameron, but 
to his surprise he saw his sweet little sister 
standing with her hand on Willie's shoulder, 
he exclaimed mirabile visu, (wonderful, to 
see) and all he could hear her say, “Oh, 
dearest, I am so glad you were sent back to 
me. Oh, how sweet life is now to us all." 

“Christmas gift," said Lucile to Effie, 
when they had somewhat recovered from the 
dilemma they were thown into by the hap- 
py meeting. “Well," said Effie, “I haven’t 
anything to give you but my big brother." 
“Thank you very much," Lucile said, and 
hand in hand the two couples walked into 
the Cameron home and sat side by side. 
Tommy Sharp whispered to Lucile, “Is it all 
right now?" And Lucile smiled sweetly as 
she looked up into his face, “If we can get 
your father's consent, I think our lives wih 
be made glorious." 


132 MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 

'‘We will do our best to win him/' said 
Tommy, “and I will take the case up with 
him immediately while his heart is yet ten- 
der and I think he will yield to my request." 

“How beautiful is this world now to me, 
Lucile. I will give the best that is in me for 
you and for my country, and for all that is 
good and holy, and the thought comes to me 
with tremendous force, ‘Am I my brother's 
keeper?' and I will endeavor to marshal the 
moral forces in the city in which I live and 
lead a campaign against the demon drink 
to drive him from that vacinity so that I 
might be able to free my brother man from 
his awful clutches." 


CHAPTER XII. 

LUCILE’S VICTORY. 

Judge Sharp was sitting in the parlor 
waiting for the return of his children from 
the Cameron home, when a servant knocked 
at the door. Judge Sharp went immediately 
to the door to answer the call and as he 
opened the door a servant handed him a note^ 
which he read quickly. 

‘‘As the children are all here and enjoy- 
ing themselves so much, I would like very 
much to have you come over and take din- 
ner with us. Mrs. Sarah Cameron.” 

Judge Sharp turned the note over and 
wrote on the back these words, “I will come 
with pleasure. H. D. Sharp.” 

Now, Judge Sharp was somewnat an 
aristocrat and eccentric man but he would 
always have a tender place in his heart for 


134 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


anyone who would show him a bit of kind- 
ness. 

When the dinner nour came Judge Sharp 
and the four children were ushered into the 
beautiful dining room, which was decorated 
with beautiful Christmas holly. 

Mrs. Cameron took her seat at one end 
of the table and Judge Sharp sat opposite 
her at the other, and Lucile and Tommy sat 
on one side, and Effie and Willie on the 
other. 

They were eating and chatting away like 
robins that had found the first ripe holly 
berries of the season. 

“Mother,” said Willie, “I have such a pre- 
dacious appetite. I think you will be com- 
pelled to tell me when to quit like you used 
to do when I was a little boy.” 

“Well, I reckon I could,” said Mrs. Cam- 
eron, “but I will just turn you over to Effie 
and she will judge that matter for you.” 

Every now and then Judge Sharp would 
take a furtive glance at Mrs. Cameron as 
though he was watching the chief robin in 
the holly bush. 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 135 

'Well, Mrs. Cameron, I must say that you 
look ten years younger today than you did 
yesterday.’' The rose of youth had return- 
ed to her faded cheeks and as the face gen- 
erally gives expression to the heart, Mrs. 
Cameron’s heart was overflowing with grati- 
tude for the return of her boy. The world 
seemed to be a new world and all was well. 

Mrs. Cameron lifted her eyes and caught 
the smile that was playing on Judge Sharp’s 
face, and blushing as a sixteen year old girl 
she said, 'Well I think it is true, Mr. Sharp, 
this is such a happy day to me, I think it 
has rolled back ten years on the calendar 
of my life,” and she added, "I think I can 
pay you the same compliment.” 

"Just listen at that,” said Lucile, as she 
whispered to Tommy, "I think they are get- 
ting up a case, and if they do I believe we 
can get your father’s consent to our mar- 
riage.” 

"It seems to be an auspacious hour for all 
of us,” said Tommy, "The dream boys have 
returned home, the disgrace that was ap- 


136 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


pending over your head has been removed, 
the gulf that was flowing between our pa- 
rents seems to have been abridged, and now 
we are one family and I think brighter days 
are ahead for us yet.'' 

Dinner was over and they all returned to 
the parlor. There they talked over the past, 
sometimes weeping, sometimes laughing, and 
all conceded that it was the happiest Christ- 
mas day that they had ever spent in their 
lives. 

Tommy whispered to Lucile, *flet us take 
a walk in the flower garden and sit under 
the Magnolia where we sat in childhood days, 
talking over the future and dreaming of a 
day like this." 

So they left the house and were soon sit- 
ting on what was known as ‘Lovers Bench.” 
The sun was just hiding itself behind the 
radiant sky in the west; the full moon, the 
monarch of the night, was just rising in all 
of its grandeur and splendor. “Oh, how 
beautiful the moon is tonight," said Lucile, 
“I think if it could speak it would have more 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


137 


love stories to tell than any other of God’s 
planets.” 

Tommy Sharp acquiesced by a nod of his 
head. “Yes,” said Tommy, “I would look 
upon the full moon when I was away from 
you and somehow it drew me very close to 
you. I would think as I looked upon it that 
you were looking upon the same object, and 
as we were looking at the same thing, we 
were drawn very close together in this way. 
You would have thought me an inept fellow 
if you could have seen me weeping some- 
times when I thought of you.” 

“That is inconsequential now,” Lucile 
added, “since I have you back at home and 
at my side.” 

“Now, Tommy, I want us to review and 
perview the progress of prohibition. Some 
say that prohibition does not prohibit. We 
all know that is a false statement because if 
it did not prohibit, why should the liquor 
dealers pay out millions of dollars to prevent 
the liquor traffic from being eliminated from 
the country. It will go without argument 


138 


MY BROTHER’E KEEPER 


that their actions defeat their arguments.” 

‘‘Look at the success of prohibition in 
Tennessee, Kansas, and every district that 
enforces the prohibition law. Prohibition 
has brought peace and happiness and pros- 
perity wherever it has gone. You remember 
when we had such a money panic a few years 
ago and Wall Street was about to fail and 
almost ruin the United States, that Kansas, 
a dry State, had to furnish New York money 
to save if?” 

There are several reasons for that and 
I will give you a few: First, a sober man 
has a greater capacity to earn money; sec- 
ond, he will have a greater capacity to save 
money, and as a general rule he will live 
many years longer than the man given to 
drink and be able to increase his income, and 
not only help himself but the country in 
which he lives. And, oh, what has prohibi- 
tion brought to humanity at large? It has 
brought clothes and food to many a destitute 
family, because the husbands and fathers 
would drink up the returns of their earn- 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 133 

ings, and brought peace and joy to many a 
troubled soul. And, oh,^^ and here her voice 
trembled with emotion as she put her hand 
gently on Tommy^s arm, “it has brought my 
own dear boy back to me.'' 

Tommy took her hand and pressed it to 
his lips and said, “How sweet it is, Lucile, to 
sit here and hear you make such a speech 
for prohibition." 

“Oh, Tommy," said Lucile, “the liquor 
business is so unjust, that is the law that 
protects it. I saw something the other day 
that stirred my very soul. You know old 
Sam Brown, he has a wife and six children, 
they live in a hut in an out of the way place, 
and he gets two dollars a day, which will 
support them very nicely if he woulld not 
drink it up every Saturday night in Old Bill 
Davis' saloon. The other day he got drunk, 
the policemen caught him and put him in a 
lock up. He was fined twenty five dollars 
for disturbing the peace. He not only lost 
his week's wages, but it will take him about 
two weeks and a half to pay the fine. Now, 


140 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


old Bill Davis did not suffer, neither did old 
man Brown, but the wife and those little 
children had to suffer for the misdeeds of 
the father/' 

''Now, if they had done the right thing 
and it would have been according to law, 
they would have put old Bill Davis, the sa- 
loon man, in a lock-up and fined him about 
five hundred dollars, and would have given 
that poor wife and children the money to 
live on, and let old man Brown work the time 
out on the road, until he would learn a lesson 
that would last him for several years." 

"Well, I am glad that there is a ray of 
light piercing the dark clouds now pending 
over our heads, that in a few years we will 
be able to drive the demon from our land 
and save the poor wretches who are now in 
servitude to such a one." 

"The dogs of war are howling on every 
continent and fighting machines are being 
prepared for the conflict, and it seems to me 
that the atonement is about to be made for 
the sins of the nations, and when this ca- 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


141 


lamitous and carnage and ghastly period 
shall have passed there will be a standard 
for morality raised that will call all nations 
to this great ideal that I have just presented 
to you. The reform of life demands it, the 
best judgment of men demands it, and all 
nature demands it, and by the help of the 
high powers we will be able to direct the 
destiny of our government in such a way 
that it will be an inspiration to all nations 
that look in upon us.'' 

At that moment Judge Sharp walked out 
to the place where Lucile and Tommy were 
sitting. “Well, children," Judge Sharp 
broke in, “I have been looking for you. It is 
getting too cool for you to sit out any longer 
in the open air." 

“Sit down a moment, father," said Tom- 
my, “I have something to ask you and I 
must do it tonight." 

Judge Sharp took his seat on the other 
side of Lucile, and Tommy still gazing stead- 
fastly at. his father trying to discover by 
the expression on his face whether or not 


142 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


he had reached the psycological moment for 
the question. “Well, son, what is it that 
you have to ask me tonight 1 ” Tommy quick- 
ly replied, “I just as well come to the point 
at once, father. I love Lucile and she loves 
me and we are now engaged and with your 
consent we can have a happy marriage.” 
Here Tommy's voice trembled and he could 
scarcely articulate the last word, and Judge 
Sharp seemed to demur for a few moments, 
which seemed to be hours to both parties 
concerned, but finally spoke. “My boy, 1 
was just hesitating to collect words to ex- 
press my approval. Lucile you have won the 
victory,” Judge Sharp continued, as he ex- 
tended her his hand. “You have not only 
won my boy's heart, but you have won mine. 
My boy and my home, all I have belong to 
you now. I lay them at your feet to reward 
you for your faithfulness and fidelity to 
your first promise made to my outcast boy.” 

“Oh,” said Lucile, “I will have a father 
now. I have longed to have someone to call 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


143 


father ever since death claimed my own dear 
father.” 

‘‘Now,” Judge Sharp continued, “I want 
to give you a father's blessing,” and he took 
Lucile's hand and placed it in his son's hand. 
The old man turned his face to the shining 
moon and said, “May the blessings of High 
Heaven attend your pathway; may you 
ever be true to each other unto the end. Now 
only one request I will make of you is this, 
I want you all to promise that not one drop 
of liquor will pass your lips or ever come into 
your home." 

“We will gladly promise that, father” 
said Tommy, “with all our hearts.” 

Judge Sharp closed the conversation by 
saying, “The hrst message that Lucile 
brought to my heart is still ringing in my 
ears, ‘Am I my brother's keeper ?' and that I 
have promised ” here Judge Sharp hesi- 

tated, Lucile whispered, “I told you they had 
up a case.” “that I would do all that I could 
to help humanity, for in helping humanity 
you help yourself.” 


144 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


“Well, what are your plans for the fu- 
ture?'' said Judge Sharp to Tommy. 

“I am glad to tell you father," Tommy 
replied, “that I have just received a tele- 
gram from Mr. Thompson, the man whom 
we were working for m Nashville, stating 
that he would open up a branch store in this 
city in a very short time and he is very de- 
sirous that Willie Cameron and myself should 
manage the business for him, and I thought 
we would accept the proposition." 

“Very good, my boy," said Judge Sharp, 
“I will assist you in building up a great busi- 
ness in this town." 

In a few weeks from that time there was 
a double wedding, when Lucile Cameron and 
Thomas Sharp, and Willie Cameron and Effie 
Sharp were united in matrimony in the Cam- 
eron home, and as they were leaving for their 
honeymoon. Judge Sharp started to leave the 
wedding scene, as he was bidding Mrs. Cam- 
eron good-bye, he whispered to her, “Just 
as soon as the new bungalow is finished on 


MY BROTHER’S KEEPER 


145 


the other block for Willie and Effie, I will 
call for my own and take you home.” Mrs. 
Cameron nodded consent as the Judge de- 
parted from the home. 




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